Hunting Motif 1940 - 1943

Arnold Peter Weisz-Kubínčan created this painting, Hunting Motif, with an unknown medium. Weisz-Kubínčan, a Jewish artist from then Czechoslovakia, was later deported to Auschwitz where he died. Here, we see a man, presumably a hunter, pausing in a verdant landscape. He is surrounded by hunting dogs and what appears to be slain game. With its vibrant, expressive brushstrokes, the painting romanticizes the traditional hunt. We can consider this work with the knowledge of the artist's tragic fate. Hunting, often associated with leisure and privilege, contrasts sharply with Weisz-Kubínčan's lived experience during the rise of fascism. He, as a Jew, was the one being hunted. This image becomes deeply unsettling, a stark reminder of the violence inflicted during the Holocaust, and the loss of individual stories. The painting transforms into a poignant reflection on themes of persecution.