Aufbau in Violett und Rot c. 1921

This watercolor and ink drawing in violet and red must have been a real adventure for Karl Wiener to create. I imagine him working fast, capturing the fleeting sense of a structure in vibrant color and hatched lines. There is a kind of raw energy to the mark making. See how the violet outlines create this sense of volume, with the red tones adding depth and warmth. I wonder if Wiener ever felt uncertain about where the painting was going when he made it? Did he see the image emerge slowly? The yellow wash makes the architecture look like it is bathed in sunlight, with each color choice heightening the overall sensory experience. It puts me in mind of other early twentieth-century expressionists, whose work sought to uncover unseen emotional and psychological realities. The conversation between painters is unending; a relay race across generations.