Drapeau rigide aux couleurs inconnues 1973

Jules Perahim painted this uncanny oil on canvas, called "Drapeau rigide aux couleurs inconnues," at an unknown date. It depicts a procession of strange, hybrid creatures in a landscape of ambiguous meaning. Born in Romania, Perahim emigrated to Paris in 1938. He actively engaged with surrealism, a movement known for challenging social norms through dreamlike imagery. The scene presented here is surreal. A bird-like figure and a humanoid with bones for ornamentation suggest a culture of the absurd. A fish on legs indicates some kind of transformation. What might the blank flag represent? Is this a satire of empty symbolism? Or perhaps a nod to new beginnings? Understanding this image requires a deep dive into the artist's life and the contexts of the Parisian avant-garde. Art historians can use resources such as artist biographies, exhibition reviews, and theoretical essays to better understand the place of this unsettling artwork in the history of modern art. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.