Boy with goat 1862

Otto Scholderer sketched "Boy with Goat", a simple graphite composition now residing in the Städel Museum. Here we see two boys struggling under the weight of the goats they carry. The motif of carrying, of bearing a weight, resonates deeply within the collective consciousness. Think of the ancient Greek myth of Atlas, forever condemned to hold up the celestial spheres. This burden, whether literal or metaphorical, echoes through centuries of art. We also recall the figure of Christ carrying the cross, an image laden with suffering, redemption, and the weight of humanity's sins. Consider how Scholderer’s young boys mirror these figures, embodying a humbler, yet equally poignant, version of the same theme. There is a sense of melancholy here, the heavy load they carry reflecting the burdens of youth and innocence confronted with labor. The symbolism here isn't always linear, it's a cycle of human experience, reappearing in new forms.