The War and Us
1917
Painted in 1917 amidst the horrors of World War I, this eerie masterpiece captures the anxiety of the times through a surreal lens. A somber couple, dressed in dark formal wear and walking barefoot, navigates a nightmare landscape swarming with gigantic, hybrid creatures—part dragon, part butterfly—with gaping maws and intricate wings. A grotesque, witch-like figure peeks out from behind them, emphasizing the inescapable dread of the era. Okuń blends Art Nouveau elegance with dark symbolism to show how war transforms the world into a terrifying, inescapable dream.