Untitled 

This print by Bernhard Hasler features a whirlwind of figures and symbols, a visual feast hinting at deeper, often turbulent, cultural currents. Note the recurring motif of the window, an opening that frames the figures, but also encloses them within architectural confines. This image resonates with the "memoria iconica," a concept where symbols persist across epochs. Hasler's window recalls Renaissance paintings, where windows often signified enlightenment and discovery. Yet here, they seem to imprison, evoking a sense of psychological entrapment. A blindfolded figure holding a book is reminiscent of depictions of the allegorical "Synagoga", representing the rejection of the new faith. The swirling figures evoke the "Danse Macabre," a medieval allegory of death's omnipresence, a stark reminder of human frailty and the ephemeral nature of life. Hasler’s work is a powerful testament to how symbols never truly die; they are merely transmuted, their meanings shifting and evolving as they resurface in the collective consciousness, engaging viewers on a subconscious level.