Owls 1939

Curator: This lithograph is titled "Owls," by Stow Wengenroth, who lived from 1906 to 1978. Editor: Oh, they look like they're judging me. A very serious couple of owls, indeed! Curator: The owls might symbolize different things depending on your perspective, often associated with wisdom, but also with the night, with the hidden, even with death. Editor: Right! I think it's the contrast of dark and light in this piece; the artist rendered their plumage so meticulously. It gives them this almost severe, knowing presence. Like they hold some secret. Curator: That contrast might reflect broader societal anxieties of his time, the ever-present tension between knowledge and ignorance, between safety and threat. Editor: I love that idea. It makes me think, what secrets are they keeping? Curator: Perhaps secrets we should all reflect on. Editor: Indeed, and maybe keep a few of our own.