Wood Owl 

Hans Fischer’s charcoal drawing presents us with the owl, a creature steeped in symbolic weight. Here, the owl’s wide, staring eyes emerge from a dense thicket, immediately evoking its traditional association with wisdom and watchfulness. Consider the owl's presence through the ages, from its revered status as Athena’s companion in ancient Greece, symbolizing knowledge, to its darker connotations of death and ill omen in other cultures. Fischer’s depiction echoes both, the creature’s gaze simultaneously inviting and unsettling. The owl, a nocturnal predator, embodies the hidden aspects of the psyche. In ancient times it may have been the symbol of the all-seeing wisdom. Over time, as the world’s forests disappeared, the owl became the sign of solitude. The image of the owl has been passed down through history, shifting in meaning as it resurfaces in different cultural contexts, reminding us of the cyclical nature of symbols, forever re-emerging.