Thursday, August 4, 2016

Co Westerik: Schoolmaster with Child

In essence, Schoolmaster and Child is a simple, straightforward painting: Two upright figures standing in front of a grid-like background; there are two bodies, two hands, two heads.
On closer inspection, the work is terrible.  “Terrible” in the sense that when you watch longer, strong feelings of horror and anger rise in you.
And pity of course, with that unhappy child. A black dressed teacher puts his heavy right hand on his head. His ugly left claw seems to grab the child by the throat. Logically, the child's face is tearful and the eyes show terror. The schoolmaster looks quite blankly at the viewer.
The mathematically straight lines of bricks in the wall at the background don’t help either, giving a feeling of enclosedness, claustrophobia.

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