Untitled 1934

This untitled work by Carlos Merida presents us with a series of striking circular and rectilinear forms rendered in charcoal. Note the halo-like shape atop the central figure, an emblem often associated with divinity or enlightenment. This echoes through art history, from Byzantine icons to Renaissance Madonnas, where the halo signifies spiritual status. The geometric figures remind us of architectural facades. Think of ancient Roman gateways, symbols of transition and passage. Similarly, the abstract shapes evoke a sense of structure and enclosure, yet one that remains elusive and undefined. Consider how the simple circle, a universal symbol of wholeness and eternity, appears here fractured and repeated. It is a testament to how our collective unconscious shapes the visual language we use, linking us across cultures and centuries. The image, veiled in abstraction, conveys a primal struggle between form and formlessness, order and chaos. We observe how symbols resurface, carrying echoes of past meanings while adapting to new contexts in a perpetual dance of cultural memory.