Untitled 1943

This untitled cartoon by the Kukryniksy collective was made sometime around 1943. It's all done with delicate ink work and watercolor washes, creating an eerie scene. I can only imagine the feeling of creating art in times of war. The artists were obviously thinking about mortality, vanity, and maybe a little bit of fortune telling, with all those scattered cards on the table. There's an interesting mix of detail and looseness in the drawing, which gives the image a kind of nightmarish quality. The artist really captured that feeling of being haunted by something inevitable – like facing your own reflection and seeing death staring back at you. It's like the the tradition of Northern European 'vanitas' painting is given a political jolt! The Kukryniksy were clearly masters of satire, using their art to provoke thought and maybe even a little bit of discomfort. And that's what art is all about, right?