The artwork titled “The Creation of Man” was crafted by the artist Marc Chagall around the year 1958 in France. This piece is executed primarily in pastel and watercolor on paper. It belongs to the art movement known as Naïve Art, also referred to as Primitivism, and is recognized as a sketch and study. Measuring 45 cm in height and 28.3 cm in width, the artwork is relatively modest in size.
Upon examining the artwork, one notes that it is characterized by its loose, expressive lines and a sense of spontaneity in its execution. The artist appears to have utilized swift, gestural strokes to depict various figures and elements that might pertain to the theme of creation. There is a substantial spiral form that dominates the central portion of the composition, which could symbolize a sense of cosmic or divine presence within the narrative of creation. Below this form, there is a humanoid figure that seems to extend its arms or wings, connecting to the organic nature of the other shapes depicted. Surrounding these central elements are additional sketches that resemble flowers and other organic motifs, as well as possible abstracted, angelic beings. The fluidity and rapidity of Chagall’s strokes create a dynamic and unrefined visual quality, a hallmark of the naïve art style, which embraces a childlike perspective and often avoids the strict rules of formal artistic representation.