Untitled (A Duel) 1903

Willi Geiger made this print entitled, *Untitled (A Duel)*, in 1905. It depicts two men facing each other, presumably about to engage in a duel, while others look on. The practice of dueling in Germany at the turn of the century was strongly associated with the aristocracy and military officers. It was a ritualized, if violent, means of settling disputes and upholding one's honor. Geiger’s print captures the formality and tension of such an encounter, but it could also be read as a commentary on the anachronistic nature of these customs in the modern era. The landscape setting underscores this sense of remove from contemporary urban life. To fully understand this work, we would need to delve into the history of dueling in Germany, the social codes it represented, and how it was viewed by different segments of society. We would need to consult historical records, literary sources, and visual representations of duels from the period. It’s only through this kind of detailed research that we can unlock the full meaning of an artwork like this.