Upheaval 1934

Cyprián Majerník made this painting, Upheaval, with an expressive approach to mark making that feels both deliberate and spontaneous. The material aspects of the work, like the thick, opaque paint, contribute to its emotional and conceptual resonances. The texture is rough, almost raw, and you can see the physicality of the medium in every brushstroke. Look at the way Majerník layers color in the carpet; it’s a chaotic mix of brown, reds and oranges, creating a sense of unease. This relates to the piece as a whole, where the scene is of religious ritual, but it is made to feel very human and unsteady. The figures in Upheaval remind me of the work of artists like Georges Rouault, who used bold lines and distorted forms to convey emotional intensity. Art, it’s an ongoing conversation across time, full of ambiguity and multiple interpretations.