Mysterium 1920

Johannes Molzahn created this woodcut print, titled Mysterium, using abstracted forms rendered in stark black and white. Notice the wheels scattered throughout the composition, a symbol of progress, technology, and relentless movement. The wheel is one of the oldest inventions in human history, it has appeared in many different eras and has been continuously reinterpreted. In ancient cultures, the wheel was a symbol of the sun, representing cyclical time, rebirth, and cosmic order. We see the wheel employed in many modern contexts, from vehicles to machines, where it symbolizes advancement and speed, yet here, disconnected from any clear mechanical form, it floats amidst abstract shapes. The fragmented nature and chaotic arrangement may speak to a subconscious anxiety about modernity. This is a potent image in how it reveals the complex relationship between progress and the human condition, with a collective memory tied to primal fears. The cyclical nature of the wheel reminds us that progress is not linear, it constantly resurfaces.