Exercise prénuptial 1962

Victor Brauner created “Exercise prénuptial,” a work that delves into the surreal landscape of relationships and identity. Brauner, who was deeply influenced by the tumultuous political environment of Europe in the early 20th century, particularly the rise of fascism, injected his art with a sense of unease. Here we see that anxiety reflected in the abstract rendering of figures that are both intimate and alien. The muted palette and the fragmented forms evoke a sense of disconnect. The disembodied head, pierced by an ambiguous object, sits juxtaposed against a body reduced to geometric shapes. Brauner seems to be asking: what does it mean to be human? How do we relate to one another? Brauner once said, "Painting is for me the means to enter into another world." This painting offers just that – an entry into a world where the familiar is made strange, and where the viewer is left to grapple with questions of connection, alienation, and the very nature of existence.