Knabe 1917

Editor: Walther Gamerith's "Knabe," painted in 1917 using oil paint, immediately strikes me as being quite introspective, almost melancholic. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: Ah, "Knabe." A glimpse into the soul, wouldn’t you say? The German Expressionists were all about diving deep into emotion, ripping away the polite mask of society. Gamerith really captures that here. Notice how the sharp, almost frantic brushstrokes create a kind of restless energy? I imagine the young boy filled with inner thoughts he may never share. Is there anything about his expression that stands out? Editor: It’s the averted gaze, definitely. He’s looking inward. And those cool blues and grays enhance that mood, don’t they? Curator: Precisely! Blue, the colour of longing, contemplation… German Expressionists played with colour to externalize emotion. Why use blue when grey will tell you that the boy is pensive and wistful? It feels right. Like the painting is letting me feel the complexity of that age: childhood's end; innocence lost. I can even feel like I want to give this young chap a friendly pat on the shoulder and send him on his way to face a troubled world with all the hopes I could possibly imbue in a father’s gesture. What will he discover? Maybe not happiness. Perhaps this world does not even include such a thing… This is all right and part of it! So, as he makes his own bed, may it be so. Editor: That's a very emotional read. I hadn't considered the sense of a transition to adulthood so explicitly, but it’s definitely there now that you point it out. It enriches my appreciation for this pensive little gem. Curator: I am glad to bring in such views, and share my readings with you! It always comes from experience...