Self-Portrait with Goat (Auto-portrait avec chèvre)

Self-Portrait with Goat (Auto-portrait avec chèvre) is a significant lithograph created by Marc Chagall in 1922. This powerful print, produced during the period of 1922–23, showcases the artist’s unique blending of memoir and surreal fantasy, which characterized his early mature style. Created as Chagall established his reputation within the Parisian avant-garde following his return to Western Europe, the work belongs to the vital French cultural output of the immediate post-war era.

The subject of the work centers on Chagall’s own image, rendered with the expressive, fluid lines characteristic of the lithograph technique. Unlike traditional academic self-portraits, this piece includes the distinctive presence of a goat, an animal motif frequently utilized by Chagall throughout his career. This creature often served as a symbolic proxy, connecting the artist to his youth, the folklore of the Russian countryside, and his Jewish heritage. Chagall’s integration of personal mythology with modernist formal language distinguishes this piece from his contemporaries. The execution of the print emphasizes dynamic contrast, utilizing the inherent tonal qualities of the stone matrix to achieve a rich, textural depth despite the monochromatic palette.

As a masterwork of modern prints, this self-portrait illustrates Chagall’s ability to infuse deeply personal reflection with dreamlike symbolism. The lithograph stands as a crucial example of the artist’s graphic output, demonstrating his mastery of the medium before his return to painting on a larger scale. This foundational image is held in the esteemed collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), where it contributes to the understanding of early 20th-century figurative art. Although this particular work is held privately, many later works by the artist have entered the public domain, allowing broad access to Chagall’s pioneering contributions to modern graphic arts.