Untitled (The Eternal Flame) 1900

Alfred Kubin created this drawing, "Untitled (The Eternal Flame)," using mixed media on paper. Notice how the composition plunges us into darkness, punctuated only by the stark contrast of the white skull and the glowing brazier. Kubin masterfully uses light and shadow to create a visual hierarchy. The flame, as a focal point, draws our gaze upwards to the looming skull, a memento mori hovering over the scene. This juxtaposition creates a tension, a play between life and death. The structural symbolism here evokes a kind of existential contemplation. What does it mean to exist? What is the relationship between mortality and the ephemeral nature of existence, represented by the flame? The rough, almost visceral texture of the drawing adds to its emotional intensity, inviting us to reflect on the cyclical nature of existence. The eternal flame flickers, but it is presided over by the inevitability of death. This artwork destabilizes any fixed meaning we might assign to life, urging us to consider our place within the grand, indifferent scheme of the universe.