Untitled 

This untitled etching was created by Imre Reiner, a Romanian-born artist who died in Switzerland in 1987. Reiner's print presents us with a confluence of images that may, at first glance, appear to be pure fantasy. However, in looking closer, it is possible to discern the socio-historical context that might have shaped Reiner’s iconography. The artist was displaced as a result of the Second World War, and his work often reflects his own experience as a refugee. The use of masks and characters in his art alludes to the social alienation and fractured identity of the modern era. The theatrical, dream-like atmosphere speaks to the way in which personal history becomes refracted through the lens of memory and imagination. To understand art, we must consider the institutional and social contexts in which it was made. Library archives and historical documents help us to interpret the past, and recognize the complex, politically charged meanings that lie below the surface.