Untitled composition 1964

This untitled composition was made by Rene Bertholo sometime in the 20th century, probably with ink on paper. The approach feels like a playful exploration of form and object, a process of discovery through drawing. The surface is quite flat, with delicate line work creating a sense of depth and texture. Look at the way Bertholo uses hatching and cross-hatching to build up tone and shadow. Take the scribbled shading on the stack of objects on the right side of the composition. These marks gives the objects volume and weight, but also a kind of tentative, provisional quality. It’s as though the objects are conjured into existence through the act of drawing. This piece reminds me of the surrealist explorations of Joan Miró or André Masson. All three artists saw art as a means of accessing the subconscious mind. Like them, Bertholo embraces ambiguity and multiple interpretations. The image is not about fixed or definitive meanings, but about the play of association and the generative potential of the artistic process.