Black Beast 

Misch Kohn created this lithograph, "Black Beast," using black ink on paper. The amorphous creature resembles a dog, its body a mass of swirls, lines, and splatters. Kohn was a Jewish artist who was born in Wisconsin, but his family moved to Germany when he was young. When Hitler rose to power and began persecuting Jews, he and his family fled back to America. He was very politically minded and concerned with the issues of social justice. In this context, we can see the work as an example of how artists used animal imagery to explore themes of alienation, power, and the bestial aspects of human nature. The unsettling form and ambiguous title invite speculation about the social and political forces at play in Kohn’s time. A deeper understanding requires access to Kohn’s personal papers and engagement with the critical discourse surrounding his work. Art history thrives on contextual inquiry, revealing how artworks mirror and challenge their historical moments.