A mayse mit a hon. Dos tsigele (A Story about a Rooster; The Little Kid)

A mayse mit a hon. Dos tsigele (A Story about a Rooster; The Little Kid) by Marc Chagall is a seminal example of the illustrated book genre, created in 1917. This early publication features eight distinct letterpress illustrations that accompany the text, demonstrating the artist’s dedicated engagement with graphic media during a highly productive period in his career. The classification of this work as an Illustrated Book highlights the intended synthesis of visual art and narrative poetry, common among modernist artists seeking new formats for dissemination. The utilization of letterpress, a technique favored for its clean lines and reproducibility, underscores the importance of the visual prints in translating the story.

While Chagall’s style is deeply rooted in the folklore and visual culture of his native Vitebsk, the formal qualities of this 1917 work are often contextualized within the broader modernist movements that would define the subsequent French art world. The imagery in A mayse mit a hon. Dos tsigele centers on familiar subjects from his emerging oeuvre-animals, particularly the rooster and the little kid-which he used as expressive conduits for emotion and memory. These early prints demonstrate the foundational elements of his artistic language: figures floating against skewed perspectives, deep contrasts between light and shadow, and a narrative structure that prioritizes dreamlike distortion over strict realism.

The existence of this rare publication highlights Chagall's commitment to printmaking and the graphic arts as a means of circulating his unique vision. As an important piece from the formative phase of his career, this Illustrated Book bridges his initial time in Russia and his eventual establishment within the European avant-garde. Copies of the original work, such as the one held securely in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), are crucial references for understanding the artist's evolution. High-quality prints of components of this work are sometimes found in public domain collections, allowing wider access to the narrative power and design choices evident in Chagall’s 1917 output.