Kopf eines Wilderers nach Leibl c. 1878

Louis Eysen made this pencil drawing, “Kopf eines Wilderers nach Leibl”, referencing the work of Wilhelm Leibl during a time of increasing social stratification. This portrait of a "Wilderer," or poacher, invites us to consider issues of class and resistance. During the 19th century, poaching was often an act of defiance against the land-owning elite who controlled access to resources. The intense gaze and shadowed face evoke the poacher's defiance, while the choice to depict him connects to broader cultural anxieties about rural life, class tensions, and the changing landscape of power. Eysen highlights the emotional weight carried by individuals caught in the crosscurrents of social change. Does this work celebrate the poacher as a figure of rebellion, or does it reinforce stereotypes about rural criminality? Either way, it certainly captures the tensions inherent in a society grappling with questions of land ownership, social justice, and the rights of the individual.