Smile under a Hat 

Editor: Here we have Jules Schmalzigaug’s “Smile under a Hat,” created using colored pencil. It has this raw energy; it feels almost like a quick sketch. The smile is... unnerving, to be honest. It’s unsettling. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Unsettling is a great word for it! The dynamism in this piece – it’s practically vibrating. Those rapid lines! I think Schmalzigaug is really tapping into the kind of… manic energy that was buzzing around before World War I. Don’t you think that nervous energy is expressed here? Editor: Definitely! And the subject's got these piercing eyes. I’m curious about his process. Curator: Well, I imagine Schmalzigaug feverishly trying to capture the fleeting, chaotic reality of the modern world. There’s this interesting contrast. I love how the confident strokes of the hat are rendered in stark black that almost weighs down on the yellow of what one presumes to be the subjects hair – a hint of light trying to overcome darkness, wouldn’t you say? What do you make of the use of color? Editor: That contrast does stand out. Maybe the color represents an artificial kind of gaiety. Like someone forcing a smile. Curator: Exactly! The artist invites us to peel back the layers and reveal something much darker beneath. It’s quite poignant when you consider his personal history too... Editor: Right! Well, I never would've thought about the pre-war context of nervous energy seeping into a drawing like this. Thanks! Curator: And thank you! Your observation of forced gaiety really struck a chord with me. Art is all about dialogue, isn’t it?