Werner Büttner's *Die Tränen des Xerxes* (2016) is an oil on canvas work that reflects the artist's characteristically sardonic and philosophically charged approach to painting. The title references the ancient Persian king Xerxes, who reportedly wept upon surveying his vast army, overwhelmed by the realization that all those lives would eventually perish. Büttner uses this historical anecdote as a springboard to explore themes of mortality, power, and the absurdity of human ambition with his signature blend of dark humor and existential unease.