Atelier 1930s

Cyprián Majerník created "Atelier" using watercolor and ink, during a tumultuous period in European history. Majerník came of age during the rise of fascism and the build up to the second world war. As a Jewish man living in Slovakia, this context deeply shaped his life and work. The figures in the painting are rendered in a way that obscures their identity. They appear abstracted and impersonal. This style could be read as a response to the increasing dehumanization that Jewish people were subjected to at the time. At the same time, the intimate setting of the artist's studio and the use of nude figures references classical traditions. Majerník engages with historical and social contexts while emphasizing the individual experience of the figures represented. Majerník's life was tragically cut short during the Holocaust. "Atelier" offers us a glimpse into the artist's life, and the broader socio-political context of the time, and invites us to reflect on the complex relationship between identity, representation, and historical trauma.