Three Figures [verso] 1780 - 1790

Mather Brown's sketch presents us with an old, cloaked figure recoiling from the energetic gesture of a younger, nude man, an echo of life. The outstretched arm, a beacon of intent, resonates through epochs. We see it in classical depictions of orators, in religious scenes of divine intervention, and even in mundane acts of pointing direction. But here, it's the arm of a figure struggling against the weight of tradition, against the established order represented by the cloaked elder. Consider how, in antiquity, this gesture might signify authority, a divine decree. Yet, as time marches on, this same gesture takes on a revolutionary tone, signaling change and defiance. This dynamic between the old and the new tugs at something primal within us. Are we witnessing a rebirth? A challenge to the old guard? Or a tragic clash between generations? This piece is not merely ink on paper; it's a mirror reflecting our own struggles with change, tradition, and the eternal dance between past and future.