Naturstudie XVI 1924

Karl Wiener’s “Naturstudie XVI” presents a striking sun rendered in colored pencil. The sun, often a symbol of life, energy, and rebirth, radiates with an almost overwhelming intensity, its rays piercing through the darkness. We can trace this motif of the radiant sun back through art history. Think of the Egyptian sun god Ra, whose daily journey across the sky dictated the rhythms of life. Or consider the sun in Renaissance art, often associated with divine light and enlightenment, emblems of deities. The symbolism is not linear. Here, the dark, almost oppressive landscape below contrasts sharply with the sun's fierce energy. This opposition evokes a sense of drama, almost a struggle between opposing forces. Just as darkness and light engage in an eternal dance, Wiener captures a moment of tension and transformation, a scene of nature but charged with latent emotional power.