Winter 1941

Karl Wiener made this somber drawing 'Winter' in 1941 using graphite on paper. Can’t you just imagine him, head down in the bleak cold? It’s a stark scene: bare trees claw at a heavy sky while a solitary figure trudges through the snow. It's pretty minimal; Wiener coaxes so much feeling from just a few marks. Look at the scratchy texture of the graphite, it creates a palpable sense of cold, like goosebumps rising on your skin. The restricted monochromatic palette of blacks, grays, and whites emphasizes the desolation of winter. The way the soldier’s eyes are cast in shadow makes it seem as if they are staring right through you. He's haunted, spectral. I can almost hear the crunch of his boots on the frozen ground and feel the weight of his heavy thoughts. Wiener evokes a sense of shared humanity—a connection to the quiet moments of reflection. I think he is asking us to see winter as more than just a season; more like a mirror reflecting our own inner landscape.