Fils Moderne 

Editor: This is Thèophile Alexandre Steinlen’s pen and ink drawing “Fils Moderne.” The cross-hatching gives it a certain immediacy. It almost feels like a snapshot, but the snapshot is quite humorous, a somewhat satirical rendering of social class. What jumps out at you? Curator: Ah, yes! What I adore about Steinlen is his playful irreverence. He doesn't just show us a scene, he winks at us from across the paper. Notice the older gentleman – perhaps the father? – almost bowed down by respectability and labor, in contrast to the lounging "modern son," quite literally with his feet up on convention! It feels like a commentary on the changing roles and expectations within families. The son embodies the *flâneur*, detached and amused by the drama of existence, and so elegantly indifferent. Editor: So the contrast is intentional. Is he critiquing or just observing? Curator: Possibly both? I mean, there’s certainly an element of gentle mockery, wouldn't you say? It's all so wonderfully…French! And a touch sad, I feel, like Steinlen is capturing a disappearing way of life being pushed aside by...well, modernity, obviously! But isn't there also a sneaking admiration for the audacity of the son? He’s free in a way the father perhaps never could be. It's an exquisitely balanced composition. Editor: I didn't pick up on that sadness initially, but seeing it as a commentary on change makes it deeper somehow. I keep thinking about my parents! Thanks for opening my eyes. Curator: And thank you for sharing your perspective. The drawing becomes richer with your family associations; after all, a great work of art keeps generating reflections on who we are.