Twee leden van de Duitse Wandervogel jeugdbeweging c. 1930 - 1940

Otto Verhagen made this work on paper using graphite, depicting two members of the German Wandervogel youth movement. The quick strokes! I feel the artist sketching them, trying to capture their movement and essence while they are in motion. I bet he only had a moment. There’s something really lovely about the way the shadows are hatched on the boy's shorts. And what’s he carrying? It's perfectly round, like a big pumpkin! What could it be? This image reminds me of other sketches I’ve seen of youth movements; this one feels a bit more intimate, like the artist knew his subjects personally. Maybe it was a study for something larger? Whatever it is, this drawing reminds us how artists are always observing, always drawing from life and other art. It's a constant conversation, isn't it?