En olding 1704 - 1765

Editor: This is Johann Salomon Wahl's oil painting "En olding", dating sometime between 1704 and 1765. It has such a solemn, almost melancholic air about it, like peering into the past. What do you see in this piece that I might be missing? Curator: You know, it feels less like peering into the past, and more like stumbling upon a very private moment of reflection, doesn't it? The deep shadows—what the Italians would call "tenebroso"—aren't just stylistic; they shroud him in thought. He is simultaneously present, here, in this plane with us, and somewhere else entirely. Have you ever felt like that? Like a ghost in your own life? Editor: Absolutely! Exams, mostly! So the shadows emphasize his inner life? Curator: Precisely! It’s a portrait, sure, but what kind? It’s about aging, obviously – en olding after all, a rather direct title I always felt, not quite poetic, isn’t it? What do you make of it? The aging? Editor: The stark contrast of light and shadow makes the wear of age feel palpable – the wrinkles, the thinning hair… it almost feels…brutal? Curator: Brutal! Yes, I love that! Like time itself is a sculptor with a rather heavy hand. Perhaps it’s about legacy too. This man isn't trying to impress us, he isn't posturing or performing—he's simply being. Do you think that self-acceptance, that vulnerability, takes courage? Editor: It really does. I think I came into this conversation seeing an "old painting," but now I see someone very exposed. I never would have noticed that. Curator: See? Art is life reflecting itself – sometimes beautifully, sometimes brutally, but always honestly, if you’re willing to look closely. It helps, as does a little company!