Marc Chagall: Rachel Steals Her Father’s Graven Images, The Bibl

 

Rachel was not only a beautiful, but also a determined and resolute young woman Jacob, the progenitor of Israel, fell in love with. In order to marry her, he agreed to serve her father for 14 years. However, despite their arrangement, her father didn't let Rachel go with Jacob. Jacob then decided to escape together with Rachel. Shortly before their escape, Rachel steals her father's graven images. According to the customs at that time, Rachel thus had the right to her father's inheritance. As the younger daughter, she would not have been entitled to it naturally. Her father went after the escaping couple and searched all of their bags. Rachel resolutely hid the graven images in the saddlebags of her camel and sat on them. When her father demanded her to get off the camel, she said she was unwell and thus prevented her father from discovering the images.

This lithograph depicts Rachel sitting submissively on her camel opposite to her father who demands the stolen graven images back. However, Rachel is in a more powerful position as she evades her father's almightyness - which is emphasised in this picture by her sitting physically higher than her father. In this work, Chagall impressively put down on canvass a great existential problem many women struggle with to this day. Resolute action may reduce comitted unjustness.