The Watering Trough

Currently not on view

The Watering Trough

1923

Marc Chagall (French (born Vitebsk, Russian Empire), 1887–1985)

This painting was one of the first works that Chagall completed upon his return to Paris in September 1923. The humorous subject matter—a bent-over woman struggles to prevent a watering trough from tipping over while a pig gives her a sly look—is typical of Chagall’s work in the 1920s, which often features a droll menagerie of mischievous animals and birds. The heightened color effects and the softening of forms and contours are also characteristic of the artist’s work during his second Paris period, which is often criticized for its overly sweet and nostalgic depictions of life in Russia before the revolution of 1917.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

The Watering Trough

Date:

1923

Artist:

Marc Chagall (French (born Vitebsk, Russian Empire), 1887–1985)

Medium:

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

39 1/4 x 34 11/16 inches (99.7 x 88.1 cm) Framed: 49 5/8 × 45 1/4 inches (126 × 114.9 cm)

Classification:

Paintings

Credit Line:

The Louis E. Stern Collection, 1963

Accession Number:

1963-181-14

Geography:

Made in Paris, France, Europe

Provenance

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Currently not on view