Mein altes Bett 1942

Karl Wiener made this drawing of "Mein altes Bett" in 1942, it’s a pencil on paper. You can see the ghost of each shape, a layered approach that feels like a memory in the making. Look at the way he builds up the scene with simple lines, a jumble of triangles, circles, and squares. These geometric forms create a sense of depth and movement, almost like an explosion contained within the frame. Then, floating in the center of this abstract landscape is a drawing of a bed, not fully realized, but present and hovering like a dream. The way he uses the pencil is interesting; thin, delicate lines that build up to create a feeling of fragility. It's as if he is carefully constructing this image, bit by bit, like a memory slowly coming into focus. I'm reminded of Picasso's early cubist works. But in contrast to Picasso's dynamic fragmentation of space, Wiener's drawing feels softer, more contemplative. It makes you wonder what the bed represents to the artist, and whether it’s about comfort or constraint.