Angel, n. d.

A bearded figure with long hair is ascending almost weightlessly, its wide-spread arms solidifying and extending as angel wings. This mystical sphere knows no time nor reality. The specific, soft interplay of lines and shapes creates an airy height from which the auratic figure stands out with intense luminosity. The dissolution of space and the dematerialization of reality is conveyed by the depiction in Pointillist dots of color. The painter Erich Mallina (1873–1954) created a highly individualistic style of painting parallel to the movements of Jugendstil and Expressionism, which prevailed in Vienna in the early 20th century. His membership of the Theosophical Society is clearly reflected in his works. Mallina addressed mystical, occult and symbolist ideas with spiritually enraptured or angelic figures.

AK, 2021