Kneeling Youth

A gaunt young man kneels with his head lowered and his arms wrapped tightly around himself. His posture indicates physical and psychological self-enclosure, but it is unclear whether the composition embodies grief, resignation, torment, or even languor. Sculptor George Minne was celebrated in his lifetime for skillfully conveying of emotional states. This work’s ambiguity reflects the artist’s interest in Symbolism, a movement that prized indeterminate meaning and personal interpretation. This plaster was probably included in the 1900 Vienna Secession exhibition, a key venue for the display of avant-garde art and design.