Naturstudie LII 1924

Karl Wiener made this nature study, probably outside, with coloured pencils on paper. The surface is built up through hundreds of tiny strokes, and you can almost imagine him sitting there, squinting and sweating in the sun, adding layer upon layer of marks. The bottom third is all dark grey-brown hills, and then above that, he’s laid down light and dark blues to make a wide expansive sky. The clouds are streaky and wispy, moving sideways across the page. I wonder if he laboured over it, or if it came out quick? Maybe he worked on it over a few afternoons. It feels like he wasn’t trying to be too flashy, just really looking and trying to capture what was in front of him. Artists are always having a conversation, and although Wiener’s not a household name, he’s definitely part of that bigger exchange, inspiring other artists to look closer at the world.