Eisenfresser (Iron Eater)

Bernhard Jager

Bernhard Jager studied biology before becoming an artist and the influence of this time is often seen in his surreal, dissection-like compositions of animals and people. This untitled piece shows the cross section of an abstracted rhinoceros, musculature, skeleton, and nervous system represented in an intricate web of line and color. In its belly sits a set of pliers, having just been swallowed by the machine-like beast.

Jager was known for his extraordinary understanding and use of lithography, being able to extract the delicacy needed to portray anatomical complexity within the confines of the stone as well as within the careful chaos his style demanded. In 2017 his work was honored with an inclusion in the “Masterpieces of Lithography” exhibition at the Klingspor Museum in Offenbach, one of the first venues to feature the artist’s work in the 1970s.