Study for -Boys Bathing- c. 1894

Alexander Grinager made this pencil on paper work called 'Study for -Boys Bathing-'. Grinager, born in Norway, eventually settled in Chicago, a place experiencing significant waves of immigration during his lifetime. This drawing may be a study for a larger piece, but it stands alone as an intimate portrayal of youth and leisure. There’s an interesting tension within this study, as Grinager captures the figure in repose, yet something about the hat and clothing feels industrial or working class. The boy is resting, but perhaps only temporarily. What does it mean to steal a moment of respite? I am reminded of poet Ross Gay's idea of "delight" as a kind of fleeting, almost subversive joy. I think Grinager's study captures one of those moments; the kind that asks us to consider who has access to leisure, and at what cost.