Conversation Between Rivals (Gespraech Zwischen Rivalen) 1907

Moriz Jung created this print, Conversation Between Rivals, in the early 20th century. The woodcut shows two men locked in a fierce brawl, while a woman, seemingly the object of their contention, looks away, disinterested. Observe the raised fist, a symbol of aggression as old as civilization itself. We see it echoed in ancient Sumerian reliefs, medieval battle scenes, and even modern political cartoons. It's a primal gesture, bypassing rational thought, appealing directly to our innate instincts of self-preservation and dominance. But consider also the woman's averted gaze. This gesture can be traced back through countless depictions of disregarded figures—from rejected lovers in Renaissance paintings to the passive women in pre-Raphaelite works— embodying indifference or powerlessness. The way the artist juxtaposes them creates tension. These potent symbols reflect our collective unconscious, a repository of inherited memories. Note that these gestures of conflict and disinterest repeat across time, demonstrating how the human drama of rivalry and indifference persists, ever re-emerging on the stage of history.