The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 20, 2025
Abdullah the Fisherman and Horse
1948
(Russian, 1887–1985)
Image: 37.6 x 28.6 cm (14 13/16 x 11 1/4 in.); Sheet: 43.2 x 33.3 cm (17 x 13 1/8 in.)
Gift of the Hanna Fund 1948.639
© Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris
Catalogue raisonné: Cramer 18; Mourlot 1.70.44
Location: Not on view
Description
The Arabian Nights, also known as The Thousand and One Nights, tells the story of a king who kills his new brides the morning after their marriage to avoid infidelity. One of his wives, the clever Scheherazade, keeps the king distracted eachnight with interconnecting stories that stop at a cliffhanger, thus delaying her execution for another day. Though they were Marc Chagall’s first foray into color lithography, Four Tales won the Graphic Prize at the Venice Biennial in 1948. The fantastic elements from the stories, such as the ifrit (a type of demon), mermen, and flying horses, were particularly well suited for Chagall’s evocative imagery and expressive use of color.
- Fairy Tales and Fables: Illustration and Storytelling in Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 4-September 8, 2024).
- {{cite web|title=Abdullah the Fisherman and Horse|url=false|author=Marc Chagall|year=1948|access-date=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1948.639