On the Terrace 1911

Moriz Jung created this caricature – or should I say, character-rich image – of life “On the Terrace” probably around the turn of the century. I wonder what Jung was thinking when he made this image. There's a real tension between the haves and have-nots. The contrast is striking, isn't it? We have a ragged, barefoot man guzzling something from a glass, and next to him, a suited gentleman with stylish shoes and a straw hat. It makes you think about who gets to enjoy the finer things in life and who’s left out in the cold. The colours are mostly muted browns, but then you've got that pop of green in the chair and the red tie, drawing your eye right in. Look at the expressive lines, almost aggressively highlighting the class differences. I can feel the artist's hand in every stroke! It reminds me a little of George Grosz or Otto Dix and their biting social commentary. Artists are always talking to each other, aren't they? Sharing ideas and pushing boundaries. You look at this picture and you can tell Jung had something to say about society, about who we are, and about what we value.