Young Shepherd 1941

Piroska Szanto made this drawing called ‘Young Shepherd’ and it looks to me like it was made with ink on paper. The most immediate thing that strikes me is the nervous, scratchy line that makes up the image. It has a restless quality, as though Szanto is trying to find the image, or as if the image is moving as she draws it. I think the strength of this piece lies in the artist's ability to create an emotional connection using such simple means. The dark lines of the drawing define the hat, the face, and the folds in the subject’s clothes. The way the hat casts a shadow helps create depth, while the overall flatness of the drawing keeps it grounded. This reminds me a little of work by the German Expressionist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, who used the same sort of scratchy lines to delineate his subjects, but Szanto's approach feels more personal. Ultimately, this drawing is not about capturing a likeness but conveying a mood.