Untitled 

This untitled work is by the Polish artist Zdzislaw Beksinski, who died in 2005. The nightmarish quality of Beksinski’s oeuvre is often understood in the context of his personal experiences and Poland’s complex 20th-century history. Beksinski, who once said, “I wish to paint in such a manner as if I were photographing dreams,” created this piece in a dystopian and surrealist style, departing from traditional representations by exploring the darker sides of human experience. We see a skeletal figure, or perhaps several figures melded together, rendered in shades of brown against an indistinct background. The effect is both disturbing and strangely compelling. The unsettling imagery of decay and transformation reflects themes of mortality and suffering. Works such as this remind us to acknowledge the inevitable presence of darkness and decay in life.