Tryzna za Jana Palacha/Requiem for Jan Palach 1969

Jaroslav Kaiser made this print called "Requiem for Jan Palach." Look at the dark shapes emerging from the black background, connected by this sort of halftone field. It feels heavy and mysterious, like a memory surfacing. I imagine Kaiser working on this, layering images and textures, trying to capture something elusive. The title suggests this is a tribute, but it’s not straightforward. There’s a small portrait, almost hidden. Is that Palach? And what about the strange floating forms—like teardrops or flames? I think Kaiser is grappling with how to represent loss and sacrifice. It reminds me of other artists who use abstraction to deal with powerful emotions—maybe Goya or some of the German Expressionists. There's a conversation between artists across time, each trying to make sense of the world through color, form, and texture. It’s a reminder that painting isn't just about what you see, but about feeling, about trying to capture something that words can’t quite reach.