Jacob’s dream

1960-1966
Oil on canvas
195 x 278 cm


In the form of a diptych, this painting presents two clearly distinct scenes that are only connected by the hilltop on which Jacob fell asleep.
On the left, in a purple-coloured night, he dreams about angels ascending and descending a ladder – an allusion to his long lineage. The angels seem to be dancing like acrobats around the ladder, conjuring up the circus of which Chagall was so fond and emphasising the deep connection between his secular and sacred themes.
On the right, the transparent angel outlined in white, the divine colour, carries a lighted candlestick that illuminates the blue night and reveals the radiance of the divine message full of hope.