Ein alter Mann, die Hände in Taschen, in einer Tür lehnend 4 - 1907

Curator: Look at this sketch. It's called "Ein alter Mann, die Hände in Taschen, in einer Tür lehnend," or "An old man, hands in pockets, leaning in a doorway," created by Rudolf Gudden in April of 1907. It’s a pencil drawing on paper. Editor: The man appears burdened. It’s just a quick sketch, but it captures such a weariness. There’s a story there in the way he's slouched, almost resigned, against the door. You can almost smell the pipe tobacco. Curator: The doorway almost swallows him whole, doesn’t it? It's a rough rendering of a subject in this in-between place. Gudden really highlights the solitude of this older man, even if he did so rather hastily. Editor: That in-between-ness really strikes me. What does that doorway signify? Is he contemplating leaving, or perhaps yearning to return? I imagine many folks felt that way in the face of a changing society. There’s a stillness, too, like time has slowed, which allows viewers to project themselves and see different scenarios of gender and race into him. Curator: It's interesting that you say that. Gudden sketched this quickly and dated it "4.4.07." It reminds me that capturing a feeling is sometimes better than trying to represent an exact likeness. A painting with too much fidelity to fact sometimes misses the bigger picture. Here, it's as if we see an entire history of lives led. Editor: Precisely. Consider how the rapid industrialization during the early 20th century disrupted traditional ways of life, particularly for the working class and the elderly. The drawing subtly comments on aging, obsolescence, and the anxieties that went hand-in-hand with social transformation. This man stands as a poignant figure that represents the intersectional weight of age, gender, class, and invisibility. Curator: Absolutely. So many narratives swirling in what might at first seem to be a simple sketch. You almost wish you could ask him what he’s thinking. Editor: Exactly. Now you have *me* wondering where this man’s doorway leads, both in 1907 and today.