Fugitive 1913

Jakob Steinhardt’s etching, "Fugitive," captures a scene teeming with turmoil, where figures flee through a claustrophobic urban space. The bent posture of the figures is an ancient symbol of distress, evoking images of supplication found in ancient Greek tragedies. This posture is mirrored in depictions of biblical figures like the expulsion of Adam and Eve, and can be seen in the poses of penitents in medieval Christian art. The meaning of the symbol is passed down through history as a signifier of desperation and loss. We see this echoed in more modern works, like Käthe Kollwitz’s prints of grieving mothers, all bearing a similar stoop of anguish. This is a pose not merely struck, but borne from the weight of collective memory. It is a visual echo that resonates with the shared human experience of suffering, engaging viewers on a subconscious level.