Mercury passing before the sun

Mediums: oil, tempera, canvas.
Location: the XXth Century Museum of Art (Vienna).

When the artist worked on the series “Mercury Passing Before the Sun”, this astronomical phenomenon was indeed observed and aroused great interest in society. Balla personally observed it with a telescope and reflected simultaneously two types of events in his work: seen with the naked eye and through the lens of the telescope. In addition to the unusual natural phenomenon, the painting expresses Ball’s admiration for the all-encompassing power of the Universe and its energy, penetrating through outer space. In search of the most reliable way to transmit the merger of two cosmic bodies, the master created a dozen sketches. This series of works served as the beginning of experiments using geometric and curvilinear shapes and transparent planes to transmit motion.