Jüngling mit Harfe (Kachelentwurf) 

This is Hans Thoma's "Youth with Harp (Tile Design)", now at the Städel Museum. Rendered in pencil, the design presents a seated nude youth playing a harp, set within a square format that underscores its intended use as a tile. Thoma employs a spare, linear approach, focusing on the essential forms and contours. The youth's figure, though simply rendered, carries a classical grace, reminiscent of idealized forms found in ancient Greek art. This classical allusion is intriguing, especially when viewed through a structuralist lens. The harp, an instrument associated with harmony and order, contrasts with the sketch's raw, unfinished quality. This tension between form and process, between classical ideals and modern execution, invites us to consider how Thoma uses these visual elements to destabilize conventional notions of beauty and artistic expression. This work challenges us to look beyond the surface, to decode the underlying structures and ideas that shape our understanding of art.