In essence, Schoolmaster and Child is a simple,
straightforward painting: Two upright figures standing in front of a grid-like
background; there are two bodies, two hands, two heads.
On closer inspection, the work is terrible. “Terrible” in the sense that when you watch
longer, strong feelings of horror and anger rise in you.
And pity of course, with that unhappy child. A black dressed teacher puts his heavy right hand on his
head. His ugly left claw seems to grab the child by the throat. Logically, the
child's face is tearful and the eyes show terror. The schoolmaster looks quite
blankly at the viewer.
The mathematically straight lines of bricks in the wall at
the background don’t help either, giving a feeling of enclosedness, claustrophobia.
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