Erna Rosenstein (1913-2004), A Knight's Tale, 1968

Provenance
Cracow, private collection of Artur Sandauer, the artist's husband

Tale of a Knight (1968) is a painting composed mostly of a thin swirling line, which, along with organic forms, became a characteristic element for Erna Rosenstein's compositions of the 1960s and 1970s. Paintings from these years are filled partially or completely with expressive forms, the meaning of which cannot be fully deciphered. Biological forms are accompanied by figurative-like elements. The drawing is vibrant, full of tension. As if to further emphasize this state, Rosenstein often mixed techniques, using crayons and markers alongside oil paints. The whole work becomes a testimony to a very intimate language of expression, an expression of the artist's emotions. Only the title can help the viewer interpret the work. And it is, in the context of Erna Rosenstein's biography, extremely simple and meaningful. A Knight's Tale transports us to an undulating, somewhat cosmic landscape, on the horizon of which appears the motif of a mountain. In the right part of the composition, in its foreground, a fanciful creature on five thin legs faces the bizarre landscape opening before him. If he is the titular knight then perhaps he is faced with the daunting task of making his way through a mysterious ravine full of intricate paths all the way to a magical mountain. Erna Rosenstein weaves an utterly fantastic tale with a supple line on canvas, inviting the viewer into her world where hope, heroism and a sense of constant danger coexist.