Rock art - Group of Eland, one having a crumpled horn 

Walter Battiss painted this group of Eland with a crumpled horn, evoking ancient rock art traditions. The eland, a creature of noble stature, is depicted here not merely as fauna, but as a symbol laden with cultural weight. Across various epochs, the eland appears in ritualistic and social contexts, especially in southern African cultures. The San people, for example, attributed deep spiritual significance to the eland, associating it with trance, healing, and connection to the divine. Consider, too, the curious detail of the crumpled horn. A deviation from the norm, it might symbolize imperfection, vulnerability, or even sacrifice. Such imagery is not isolated; throughout art history, distorted features often serve as potent conveyors of psychological or spiritual states. Think of the tormented faces in Grünewald’s Isenheim Altarpiece, each contortion revealing profound suffering. Thus, Battiss does not simply replicate ancient art; he revives a primeval connection between humanity, nature, and the cosmos. It’s a cyclical return to visual forms that are embedded in our collective unconscious.