Lot 93

Maximilián Pirner (1854 - 1924) HOMO HOMINI LUPUS

Homo Homini Lupus, a Latin proverb meaning “man is wolf to man”, is a work in which Pirner uses allegories to criticize and parody society. With animals onlooking, the winged figure of Imagination is being crucified by a troop of monkeys. The allegory of the ideal world of Art is subjected to a ruthless and devastating clash with the reality of modern times. In combining the allegorical and symbolic content, Pirner reveals his view filled with irony and personal feelings of disillusion and pessimism. As in his other fin-de-siècle works, Pirner uses Art Nouveau ornamentation motifs.