Coup of Doubt 1946

Victor Brauner's *Coup of Doubt* is an oil on board painting that presents us with a real puzzle. I imagine Brauner carefully building up layers, maybe scraping back, creating a surface that feels both ancient and otherworldly. The colors are earthy, yet there's a strangeness to the composition. A figure sits, perhaps in contemplation, while an animal form hovers nearby, radiating an eerie glow. Look at how the lines delineate form, yet seem to vibrate with an energy all their own! Brauner's got me thinking about how we piece together meaning from fragments, from hints. I bet he was interested in Surrealism, and maybe also in art brut. He’s doing his own thing though, creating this personal mythology. In this exchange of ideas and ways of seeing, Brauner's painting isn't offering answers, but rather inviting us to embrace the richness of uncertainty.