In 1943, when Chagall returned to New York, he grew increasingly engaged with current affairs. During this time, a particular piece of news profoundly distressed him — the brutal destruction of his hometown, Vitebsk, during Operation Barbarossa. In Escape: Cockerel and Goat above the Village, one can discern this devastation through the orange glow on the horizon, where the flames vividly illuminate the night scene.

In an act of religious defiance, the church is the only building spotlighted, embodying a theme of religious fortitude that permeates throughout the work. Where the flames would be expected to appear, they are replaced by a cockerel and a goat. The cockerel, often associated with Chagall, symbolises his own personal identity and resilience. At times, it also signifies love. The goat carries profound symbolic weight, being a crucial element in Jewish sacrifices at the Temple. However, Chagall frequently employed it to represent the harsh treatment of Jews in Russia and Europe, particularly during the Holocaust.

Examples of Chagall’s work are held in public
collections including Ben Uri Gallery & Museum, London; MoMA, New York;
Gugenheim Museum, New York; Art Institute, of Chicago; Chicago; Musée National
Marc Chagall, Nice, France.