Krähen 1940

Editor: We’re looking at Karl Wiener’s “Krähen,” or “Crows,” a drawing made with pencil and colored pencil on paper in 1940. The sheer number of crows makes me a bit uneasy. What historical context informs this drawing? Curator: It’s the year that’s crucial here, isn't it? 1940. Think about where Wiener was, and what was happening in Europe at the time. Does the landscape seem welcoming? Are the crows simply birds in a field? Or do they suggest something else? Editor: Definitely not welcoming. Knowing it was drawn in 1940... the crows feel like an omen. A dark cloud settling over everything. Were birds often used as symbols in art during this period? Curator: The choice of subject and its treatment – the bleakness of the landscape, the oppressive number of crows – directly speaks to a sense of dread that permeated life then. While birds aren’t always ominous, here, they amplify the pervasive anxiety and foreshadowing of tragedy. How does seeing art like this, tied to such a specific and difficult moment, affect you? Editor: It’s sobering. It makes me think about art as a direct response to historical events. Beyond being aesthetically interesting, this piece speaks to the anxieties of a very specific time and place. I appreciate that it isn’t just about the visual; it’s about historical witness. Curator: Exactly. It shows how art can serve as a mirror, reflecting society's fears and tensions back at itself, forcing us to confront uncomfortable truths. And remembering the power art possesses. Editor: So true. It has really shifted my perspective of this artwork to the social history of art making.