Shooting Star 

Wilhelm Kotarbinski's drawing, 'Shooting Star', presents a dreamlike vision rendered in soft monochromatic tones, evoking a sense of ethereal melancholy. A reclining female figure, seemingly composed of light, descends from the upper reaches of the composition. The linear quality of the drawing invites us to consider the structure of symbolic forms that shape our understanding. The shooting star, traditionally a symbol of fleeting beauty, becomes intertwined with the reclining figure, blurring the boundaries between celestial and earthly realms. The carefully modulated tonal range—from the inky blacks of the sky to the luminous whites of the figure—creates a spatial ambiguity. It challenges our perception, destabilizing fixed meanings associated with these symbols. The artist uses formal elements to suggest a world where categories are fluid. Here, the 'shooting star' becomes a site of ongoing interpretation, reflecting our desires and fears onto the cosmos.