Kopf eines jungen Mädchens im Profil nach rechts 1860

This is 'Kopf eines jungen Mädchens im Profil nach rechts', a pencil drawing by Otto Scholderer, located here at the Städel Museum. Notice how Scholderer uses minimal lines to create a sense of form and volume, focusing on the profile of the young girl. The simplicity invites us to contemplate the essence of portraiture itself. The sketch presents a study in contrasts; the delicate lines define her features against the stark, empty space of the paper. The incomplete nature of the drawing suggests a fleeting moment, emphasizing the ephemerality of youth and beauty. Is Scholderer pointing to the idea that identity is constructed through representation, or is it a meditation on the gaze and its power to define and capture a subject? The drawing thus becomes a space where traditional notions of representation are questioned.