Dream 1936 - 1937

Cyprián Majerník made this pen and ink drawing, Dream, in the first half of the 20th century, and right away, you can see he’s not holding back! The way the ink scratches and dances across the page gives it an edgy feel. Look at how he uses these marks to create all sorts of textures: the hairy beast, the sky, the ground, everything is alive with this vibrant energy. There's a chaotic energy here, but it's also controlled, like he's wrestling with the unknown. The animal riding on the figure's back is just wild. It reminds me a little of some of Goya's darker, more surreal works. And the two figures below, intertwined on the ground, have such vulnerability about them. Majerník isn't afraid to get down and dirty with the real stuff of life, the messy, complex, and sometimes unsettling stuff.