Composition 1922

Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, known as ‘Witkacy,’ created this vibrant watercolor drawing titled "Composition" in 1928. Born in Poland, Witkacy was a multifaceted artist whose life was deeply entwined with the political and cultural turmoil of early 20th century Europe. This "Composition" gives us a glimpse into Witkacy's engagement with the concept of psychological realism which he explored in his portraits and theatrical works. The nightmarish figures hint at the anxieties of a world on the brink of war. The contorted bodies of the figures suggest a deeper unease. Witkacy rejected naturalism and embraced distortion and exaggeration to convey intense emotional states. His art captures the angst of an era marked by social upheaval and existential questioning. Witkacy tragically took his own life in 1939 in response to the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, and his art offers a poignant commentary on the human condition in times of crisis.