"Dark Star" by Vasily Alexandrovich Kotarbinsky Matte Poster

Dark Star (1925) by Vasily Alexandrovich KotarbinskyPolish, 1848-1921Vasily Alexandrovich Kotarbinsky was a Polish symbolist painter known for his historical and fantastical subjects. Kotarbinsky’s works often evoke a sense of mysticism and are rich in symbolic meaning. His paintings typically feature elements of mythology, religion, and history, rendered with a romantic and often melancholic tone. “Dark Star” is a striking and symbolic black and white ink drawing depicting a multi-winged angel, possibly a seraphim, one of the most powerful angels in Christian iconography and associated with purity, light, and closeness with God.  Here, however, the angel is depicted in black attire, along with an intense gaze and a black star hovering above. This could suggest a complex interplay between light and darkness, purity and mystery. The rock against which she leans may represent stability or the enduring nature of the divine, while the fog or smoke at knee height adds an element of the ethe