A pixie c. 1867 - 1868

Paul Konewka created this image of "A Pixie" using graphite. Konewka was a German-Polish silhouette artist, and while this piece is not a silhouette, it maintains the same stark simplicity. Consider the time in which Konewka lived. The 19th century saw a surge of interest in folklore and the rise of spiritualism. Fairies, like the one depicted here, became potent symbols of a world beyond the mundane. This sketch evokes a sense of longing for a connection with nature and the supernatural. There is a childlike wonder to this piece. It speaks to the imaginative realms that were often gendered feminine, offering an alternative to the rigid social structures of the time. The pixie, with its delicate wings and ethereal presence, invites us to dream and escape. This artwork embodies the tensions between the real and the imagined, reflecting the search for meaning and enchantment in an increasingly industrialized world.