17594 („Im Leben habe ich gefunden …“) 1932

This mixed-media collage by John Elsas presents two figures wearing conical hats in simple geometric forms. These hats, reminiscent of dunce caps, immediately evoke a sense of folly and social commentary. Such headgear can be traced back to medieval festivals, where fools and jesters wore similar hats as symbols of their roles outside societal norms. The very gesture of one figure reaching out to the other reminds me of ancient depictions of merchants exchanging goods, but here the exchange seems less tangible, more symbolic. Consider how the motif of the fool reappears throughout art history, from the Tarot's wandering fool to Shakespeare's insightful jesters. Elsas's figures, with their stark geometry and flat colors, embody a modern take on this ancient archetype. The inscribed phrase "In life, I have found that the clever willingly associates with the dumb" alludes to the complex dance between wisdom and ignorance, a dance that plays out on the stage of our collective consciousness.