Laterne und drei Vögel c. 1920

Karl Wiener made this drawing of a streetlight and three birds with ink on paper. It's simple yet evocative, the image conjures a feeling of solitude and stillness. I can imagine Wiener hunched over his desk in November, perhaps in a small room overlooking the city. He meticulously renders the vertical lines of the lamp post, each stroke carefully placed, echoing the rhythmic lines of the sky. The way the lines bend and waver suggests the air moving, a tangible force. The three birds, almost an afterthought, add a touch of lightness and freedom to the scene. They remind me of Joan Miró’s constellations, where simple shapes become symbols of something bigger. And the horizontal lines are reminiscent of Agnes Martin's grids, which create a meditative space for contemplation. It’s like Wiener is having a quiet conversation with these artists across time. I'm struck by how a few simple lines can communicate so much. It reminds me that art doesn’t always need to shout to be heard.