Vajda Ljaos with Silver Square, 1939, Pencil, Indian Ink and Silver on Paper, 63.2x90.2cm 1939

Lajos Vajda created this drawing with pencil, Indian ink, and silver on paper in 1939. The composition presents a fantastic, perhaps disturbing, hybrid creature. Vajda worked in Hungary, and his work was impacted by the atmosphere of social and political crisis that gripped Europe during the interwar period. The two bird heads on either side give it a double aspect, a feature that reminds us of the Janus-faced figure in classical art, a symbol of transition and duality. The drawing also incorporates geometric elements, such as the sharp triangles that form the wings, and a dark triangle is centered at the bottom of the figure. In its center, a kind of architectural form can be seen, maybe a ziggurat or tower. Vajda’s work drew on surrealism and constructivism and seems to reflect a world in which old certainties have been broken, as Europe hurtled towards another world war. To gain a fuller understanding, we might consider publications on Central European art from this period, as well as archival resources that document the artist's life and work. In this way, we can see how art reflects and comments on its social context.