Woman and Owl 

Bernard Reder created this lithograph, "Woman and Owl," during a time of immense social upheaval. Reder, having fled Europe during World War II, carried within him the weight of displacement and cultural loss. In this print, a woman hovers, seemingly weightless, above a cityscape. Her posture isn't one of dominance, but rather of precarious balance. Below her, the owl—a traditional symbol of wisdom—gazes upwards as if seeking guidance. Reder blurs the lines between the mythical and the mundane, reflecting his personal journey. The artist's use of stark contrasts creates a dreamlike quality, blurring the lines between reality and the subconscious. The woman's ambiguous expression and the unsettling presence of the owl evoke a sense of searching. It’s as if Reder is visualizing the act of seeking wisdom in a world unmoored from its past. The artist once said, "Art is a revolt against man's fate." This print captures the emotional weight of that revolt and speaks to the hope for renewal in the face of devastation.