Portret van een verwonderde jongen 1847

This drawing of an astonished boy, made by Henricus Franciscus Wiertz, captures a profound moment of discovery. The boy’s wide eyes and slightly parted lips tell of a mind grappling with something extraordinary. The neckerchief loosely tied around his neck is reminiscent of earlier peasant garb, and brings to mind, say, depictions of the young John the Baptist in Renaissance art. There, it signifies innocence and simplicity, a stark contrast to the sophisticated world he would soon encounter. Here, it carries a similar echo of youthful purity. The true power, however, lies in the boy's gaze. It echoes the same sense of awe found in countless depictions of epiphany, from religious icons to scientific revelations. This recurring motif, etched into our collective memory, reveals the subconscious pull of images that articulate our deepest emotional experiences. In each repetition, the gaze evolves, yet the core feeling of ‘Verwondering’ – wonder – persists.