The farmer 

Alekos Kontopoulos made this drawing of a farmer with ink. Kontopoulos lived through a tumultuous period in Greek history marked by wars, political instability, and significant social changes. In this context, the representation of rural life and labor gains particular significance. This farmer, depicted with a hunched posture, embodies the weight of physical toil and perhaps the socio-economic struggles of the agrarian class. It makes me wonder what kind of narratives were being told about the working class at the time? Were they romanticized, or were they presented with stark realism? Kontopoulos’s work offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of those who worked the land. This depiction is not just a portrayal of an individual but a reflection on the broader themes of labor, identity, and the human condition.