Lachende jongeman met hoed en een blad in zijn handen 1862 - 1878

Louis Jaugey created this monochromatic drawing of a laughing young man with a hat, using pen and ink. The figure is neatly framed in an oval format, emphasizing his expressive face and flamboyant attire. The composition is structured by contrasting textures: the smooth, unadorned face against the meticulously detailed hat with its feathery plume, and the patterned fabric of his sleeve. The man’s almost caricatured smile evokes a sense of playful theatricality, highlighted by the sheet in his hand, inscribed with the words 'CHERIDETE SIGNORI'. Jaugey employs a semiotic system where the man's exaggerated features and costume act as signs. These signs reference performance, possibly inviting viewers to consider the artificiality inherent in social roles. This piece destabilizes the boundary between genuine emotion and staged display. It suggests how identity itself can be a construct, performed and interpreted through visual cues.