Aufgehender Mond 1924

Karl Wiener made this evocative drawing using colored pencils, and it really pulls you into its quiet, moody world. Wiener’s mark-making feels so present, visible in the layering of colored strokes. Look closely at the way the purples and grays build the sky, and how the little orange sun glows against that darkness. It’s all about texture here; you can almost feel the paper under the pencil. The way Wiener uses color and texture reminds me a little of Symbolist painters like Odilon Redon, who were also interested in exploring inner states and dreamlike imagery through art. Both artists see art as an ongoing experiment in seeing, where the physical act of making something is just as important as the finished product. This piece captures a fleeting moment, a mood, a feeling, more than a literal scene.