Sonnenfinsternis und Geburtstag der Mutter 1945

Karl Wiener created ‘Solar Eclipse and Mother’s Birthday’ in 1945, using pencil and crayon. The image commemorates a solar eclipse that occurred on the 9th of July 1945, which coincided with the artist’s mother’s 73rd birthday. Wiener made this artwork in Austria at the close of the Second World War, a time when the institutions of the art world were being rebuilt following Nazi persecution. The scene depicts two figures at a table, observing the eclipse through a candlelit lens. The image is naive but striking: the sun is depicted as a white crescent encircled by yellow rays. The use of radiant light is notable, given the darkness associated with the eclipse itself. The figure on the right is an angular self-portrait of the artist, perhaps suggesting the scientific precision with which the event was observed. This artwork raises questions about the role of the artist as witness, and the ways in which art can serve as a record of both personal and collective experience. Through historical and scientific research, we can better understand the context in which this artwork was created, and its enduring relevance as a testament to the power of the human spirit.