This is not by Picasso but by the great Swiss artist Hans Erni. It is part of a huge mural painting for the Verkehrshaus (Transport Museum) in Lucern. The title is “Man’s Advance into Space”. What the Minotaur is doing there I don’t know. Perhaps he represents ignorance and stubborn tradition and myth. Then Icarus is the adventurer who dared to follow his dream. The figures might remind you of the ones on old Greek vases, especially if you color them red and change the lines to black. Though these are freer they are no less beautiful. He could never keep beauty out of what he painted in spite of all the horror of his time. Erni is certainly one of the great draftsmen of the twentieth century (see this). At 102 he is still at work.
See a gallery of his works here...
Do you know when this was painted? Just curious.
I can’t find it, Moonbeam, but I think the Verkehrshaus was built in the early 1970’s. Erni, as far as I know, is still alive at 98.
Thank you! It’s beautiful.
Well, that’s true, Minotaur reflects the presence of stubborn and hypocrite myths, this represents the ignorance of people, I truly love your stuff which make me visit you regularly.
files recovery
the verkershaus is in Lucern not Zurich
and Hans Erni is now 102
Anonymous: Thanks. I’ve made the corrections.
I actually went to see it in Lucern last year and it was very beautiful! Not only the museum was beautiful, but the city too. I didnt even know there was so much beautiful art in Switzerland!
Hans: Did you see the wonderful statue of the dying lion across the little pond just outside Lucerne? It was meant to honor the Swiss Guards who died in the French Revolution. An unforgettable figure.
I own a Hans Erni lithograph signed by the artist in pencil but can’t find any images of it anywhere. Its of a naked girl reclining with a fig plant/tree covering her.Does anyone know its name?