Homo Homini Lupus 1901

Maximilian Pirner made this artwork with muted greens and blues. Can you imagine him, maybe in his studio, pushing the paint around, trying to get the right balance? I do this sometimes - working on a painting is about constant editing! I’m drawn to the ghostly figure at the center, the way it’s tied to a wooden stake, and surrounded by all these animals. I wonder what Pirner was thinking when he made this. It feels like he was pondering something big, like Schopenhauer did! There is a lot of detail to observe. I wonder what each animal represents. It's a bit haunting and surreal, right? This piece reminds me that artists are always riffing off each other, building on ideas from the past while adding their own spin. I’m thinking, too, about how painting lets us explore tough questions, and how there’s never just one answer.