Exploring Symbolism and Expressionism in Alfred Kubin's 'Water Ghost'

This essay provides an in-depth analysis of Alfred Kubin's painting "Water Ghost," examining its significance within the context of Symbolism and Expressionism, key avant-garde art movements of the time. The essay delves into Kubin's personal influences, including his struggles with depression and the impact of artists like Max Klinger on his work. It explores the painting's representation of the ancient lore of the storm, the figure of the ghost, and the emotional turbulence Kubin experienced. The analysis considers critical interpretations, including the painting's potential connections to Surrealism and its sublime qualities. The essay concludes by highlighting Kubin's importance as a pioneer in the avant-garde art movement, particularly in his use of expressionistic techniques, and his contribution to the art world.

Running head: PAINTING ANALYSIS
“Water Ghost” by Alfred Kubin
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1PAINTING ANALYSIS
“Every now and then one paints a picture that seems to have opened a door and serves as a
stepping stone to other things.”
The above quoted lines of Pablo Picasso clearly indicates the nature of the painting
“Water Ghost” by Alfred Kubin. Painting had its origin in the Pre-Historic times when the
cavemen used to draw figures on the walls of the cave (Arnason and Mansfield 2013).
However, in the recent times, the genre of painting has undergone much transformation in a
bid to incorporate other branches of study within itself. The present definition of the art of
painting has been adequately put into words by Orhan Pamuk in his book “My Name is Red”,
“Painting is the silence of thought and the music of sight” (Pamuk 2010). Therefore, in the
present day scenario painting is used to express the silent thoughts of the soul which cannot
be expressed by words (Arnason and Mansfield 2013). To express the inexpressible the artists
use various techniques like expressionism, impressionism, formalism and other forms of
avant-garde styles (Kohle 2012). Afred Kubin was one of the pioneers of the techniques of
Symbolism as well as Expressionism and his works are often considered to be potent
representatives of these two genres of painting (GLUECK 2018). This essay intends to shed
light on the painting “Water Ghost” of Alfred Kubin from its avant-garde and sublime
perspective.
Alfred Leopold Isidor Kubin (1877-1959), was an Austrian painter whose works are
redolent with the qualities of the avant-garde art movement of his time like Symbolism,
Expressionism and others (Galerie-altnoeder.com 2018). Much of his life he suffered from
depression with two or three instances of nervous breakdown (Arnason and Mansfield 2013).
He even attempted suicide on the grave of his mother. Thus, painting served in his life the
same purpose as it did in the life of Frida Kahlo, “I don't paint dreams or nightmares, I paint
my own reality” (Art & criticism by eric wayne 2018). However, the real flowering of his art
began with the influence of Max Klinger on his art which in his own words, “a new art was

2PAINTING ANALYSIS
thrown open to me, which offered free play for the imaginative expression of every
conceivable world of feeling. Before putting the engravings away I swore that I would
dedicate my life to the creation of similar works” (Kubin 1973). This can be seen as his
formal introduction to the avant-garde art movement of which he was to become a primary
preacher. It is to be noted that most of the critics interpret his works like “Water Ghost”,
“Gateway to Hell”, “One Woman For All” and others to be rather dark, spectral and full of
his symbolic fantasies (Marks, Kubin and Landesmuseum 1977). Some critics even find
influences of authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Kafka, Fyodor Dostoevsky, E.T.A. Hoffmann and
others on his art works (Kohle 2012). According to these critics, in his works is found the
same morbid reality as well as the infernal ugliness of the present day society as is found in
the works of these writers and just like them he also takes the help of gothic machinery to
convey his message (Kohle 2012).
The “Water Ghost” is often considered to be the masterpiece of Albert Kubin (Marks,
Kubin and Landesmuseum 1977). It is interesting to note that he was the only Austrian artists
to be a member of the "Der Blaue Reiter" group and many people consider this painting to a
product of the influence of that art group (Galerie-altnoeder.com 2018). In this particular
painting, Kubin is trying to vent his own personal emotions through the medium of
expressionism. This particular painting of Kubin is based on the ancient lore about the storm
(Art & criticism by eric wayne 2018). According to the ancient lore, there is one storm in the
world and when that storm awakens it destroys everything in its path until its force is spent
and it weakens down only to rise up again later when it has regained its strength (Kubin
1973). In this ancient lore, he introduces the figure of the ghost, who is actually the element
behind the force of the storm. The ghost seems to be wearing the storm just like one wears a
cloak or a garb in everyday life. Many critics believe the ghost to be a representation of the
emotional turbulence faced by Kubin right from his childhood and especially after the death

3PAINTING ANALYSIS
of his mother (Arnason and Mansfield 2013). On the other hand, there are others who
consider the painting to be mere pastime work of the artist and think that there is no hidden
meaning in the work (Arnason and Mansfield 2013). However, Kuhin’s own opinion about
the meaning of the painting is significant here, “You might as well ask an artist to explain his
art, or ask a poet to explain his poem. It defeats the purpose. The meaning is only clear
thorough the search” (Art & criticism by eric wayne 2018). On the other hand, there are some
critics to consider this painting to be one of the earliest manifestations of Surrealism
(Arnason and Mansfield 2013). Therefore, it can be said that this particular painting of Alfred
Kubin represents the characteristics which were typical of the avant-garde movement of his
time.
A work of art is said to be sublime when it is of unparalleled beauty or of great
excellence. The painting “Water Ghost” of Alfred Kubin is one such art work which reaches
the genre of sublime (Arnason and Mansfield 2013). It is a sublime work of art not only
because of the beauty of the work or for the fine execution of the work but also for the
sublime meaning which the artist has tried to conveyed through the painting. In this painting,
the artist through the metaphor of the storm and the anecdote of the ghost used in the ancient
lore is trying to portray the inner storm which is continuously going on in the inner
consciousness of each individual on this planet (Art & criticism by eric wayne 2018). The
human mind becomes the world in this particular painting and the ghost becomes the
representation of the human consciousness. Thus, it can be said that the painting achieves the
quality of sublimity by virtue of the meaning which it is trying to portray.
Therefore, from the above discussion it becomes clear that Alfred Kubin was one of
the greatest painters of Austria who did not receive much of critical acclaim which was his
due within his lifetime. He is often considered to be a pioneer of the avant-garde movement
in painting and its related movements like Expressionism, Symbolism, Surrealism and

4PAINTING ANALYSIS
various others. His “Water Ghost” is often considered to be a fine exhibition of his
expressionistic techniques.

5PAINTING ANALYSIS
References
Arnason, H.H. and Mansfield, E., 2013. History of modern art: painting, sculpture,
architecture, photography. Pearson.

6PAINTING ANALYSIS
Art & criticism by eric wayne. 2018. Eerie Alfred Kubin: Forgotten Pioneer of Symbolism,
Expressionism, and Surrealism. [online] Available at:
https://artofericwayne.com/2018/01/29/eerie-alfred-kubin-forgotten-pioneer-of-symbolism-
expressionism-and-surrealism/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2018].
Artnet.com. 2018. Alfred Kubin | artnet. [online] Available at:
http://www.artnet.com/artists/alfred-kubin/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2018].
Galerie-altnoeder.com. 2018. Alfred Kubin - Galerie Altnöder Salzburg. [online] Available
at: https://www.galerie-altnoeder.com/kubin.html [Accessed 5 Mar. 2018].
GLUECK, G. 2018. ART: ALFRED KUBIN SHOW A LESSON IN FANTASY. [online]
Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/25/arts/art-alfred-kubin-show-
a-lesson-in-fantasy.html?pagewanted=all [Accessed 5 Mar. 2018].
Kohle, H., 2012. Nightmare–anxiety–apocalypse. The Uncanny and Catastrophic in the art of
Modernism.
Kubin, A., 1973. From my workshop . German paperback publisher.
Marks, A., Kubin, A. and Landesmuseum, O., 1977. Illustrator Alfred Kubin: Complete
catalog of his illustrations and book art works . Ed. Spangenberg.
Pamuk, O., 2010. My name is Red (Vol. 331). Everyman's Library.

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Appendix 1
Figure 1: “Water Ghost” by Alfred Kubin
Source: (Artnet.com 2018)