Soldier's Departure 

Editor: Here we have Thèophile Alexandre Steinlen's ink drawing, likely from 1918, called "Soldier's Departure." It feels incredibly raw and emotional; the lines are so immediate and kind of frantic, really conveying a sense of urgency and despair. What kind of deeper story do you think is going on here? Curator: What catches my eye immediately are the repeated figures, almost like echoes. A tight embrace on the left suggests farewell, but then you see a lone figure on the right, hunched and seemingly defeated. Do you notice how the child stares out, almost accusingly? This work captures not just departure, but a psychic landscape of trauma. Editor: Trauma...that's a powerful word. I was seeing it as sad, but maybe missing the longer-term impact. The repeated figures almost like memories replaying themselves? Curator: Exactly. The "echoes" can symbolize how war reverberates through generations, both a present moment of pain and a lingering presence in the family’s memory. Ink lends itself well to that, doesn’t it? Quick, immediate, hard to erase. Do you think it is glorifying war or something different? Editor: No, no glory at all. It feels very personal and anti-heroic. Looking again at the hunched figure you mentioned... it reminds me of war memorials that are far more human. Is that maybe a fallen soldier returning home? Curator: Perhaps a broken spirit returning home, changed and wounded. Steinlen isn't presenting an idealized soldier, but a victim of war. He uses universally understandable images – the hug, the child's face, the bowed head– allowing the work to bypass language. It's a lament accessible to all. Editor: I never considered how deliberate those image choices might be. It makes me see how artists can communicate very complex, lasting ideas with just a few lines and well-chosen symbols. Thank you for sharing this piece from the iconographic view. Curator: And thank you for noticing the feeling first. It's from that point that all true investigation begins.