Illustration to Voltaire, "Candide" Possibly 1950

Editor: Here we have Imre Reiner's "Illustration to Voltaire, 'Candide,'" possibly from 1950, a drawing made with ink. It feels quite turbulent and dreamlike, a stark contrast with the more lighthearted interpretations of the novella I'm used to. What captures your attention most about this particular image? Curator: The nervous energy of Reiner’s lines, certainly. There’s a palpable sense of unrest here, isn't there? It’s as if he's trying to capture the constant upheaval in Candide's journey, the relentless absurdities. I feel the artist's empathy toward Voltaire's critique, like a sigh etched in ink. Can you sense how the seemingly uncontrolled marks start taking shape in the face above the landscape? Editor: Absolutely! It almost feels like Candide’s face is emerging from the chaos itself, a poignant reflection of the story’s themes. The face even appears like a sort of map or tangled bunch of interconnected ideas, as Candide tried to unpack this "best of all possible worlds." Curator: Exactly! Look at the landscape and note how its delicate yet firm character contrasts with Candide’s heavy emotional experience in the foreground. What do you think Reiner is hoping to convey by using the landscape to create these dynamic tensions between beauty and disillusionment? Editor: Maybe it’s suggesting that even amidst beautiful scenery, existential dread can still creep in, and, if anything, perhaps become all the more unsettling. This has actually made me see Candide in a whole new light. Curator: Art does that, doesn't it? It pulls you in, kicks you around a bit, and then leaves you with a slightly altered perspective, and, ideally, a new way to explore.