Die große Arngast by Franz Radziwill is a captivating example of the painter`s unique ability to compose haunting imagery and thereby to evoke an unsettling sense of unannisness in the beholder. It showcases a lighthouse in northern Germany, situated near his chosen hometown of Dangast. A decade before he first arrived in this small village in 1921, it had already served as a source of inspiration for Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. Although Radziwill was clearly influenced by Die Brücke artists at the beginning of his career, he eventually developed his own artistic expression through the hyperrealistic und powerful pictorial language of Magic Realism, a genre staggering between Surrealism and New Objectivity and usually characterised by blending reality with fantasy.

The painting shows the prominently situated lighthouse as a striking landmark but also as an evocative symbol of orientation and safety which stands in sharp contrast to the unruliness of the depicted scene. The rough landscape consists of an abandoned coastline, interrupted by sharp cliffstones resembling tombstones, watching over a murky sea. In the sky swirling clouds and swarms of seagulls explode from a hill like a volcanic eruption. A sense of threat settles through an aeroplane and especially a fighter jet, which rises into a colourful and fictious sky.

Radziwill’s confident use of colour and the dense composition create a dramatic atmosphere and the feeling of being at a haunted place. The relationship between objects and colour were of crucial importance to Radziwill. Reflecting on his ability to connect both as an artist, he emphasised the importance of a straightforward understanding of his paintings: "In summary: The more familiar the object to which the colour is bound, and the greater the skill of the craftsman in mastering or using the means used, the easier and clearer the path to the image." (Franz Radziwill quoted in Exh. Cat., Dangast, Franz Radziwill Haus, Die Palette des Malers, 2017, p. 21). With its meticulous attention to detail and powerful colour palette, Die große Arngast is a proof of Radziwill's great artistic competence and creative imagination.