Behind the Curtain 1963

Antonio Berni created "Behind the Curtain," a striking print that juxtaposes the domestic and the depraved. The composition is divided, offering a stark contrast between the textured lace curtain on the left and the dark, solid background on the right, where a figure of a woman and a seated man are displayed, with an old television floating above them. Berni’s print destabilizes traditional notions of domesticity by contrasting the detailed, almost comforting pattern of the lace with the unsettling scene it partially conceals. This juxtaposition can be interpreted through a semiotic lens, where the lace acts as a signifier of bourgeois values, while the imagery behind it represents the subversion of these values. The curtain does not just decorate; it also frames and hides, inviting viewers to question what is being concealed and why. Berni emphasizes texture and contrast, turning what might be a simple domestic scene into a profound commentary on Argentinian society. The print challenges fixed meanings and engages with new ways of thinking about representation.