Young Man Hiding Face in HandJohann Heinrich Füssli

A young man sits with his body folded in on itself, his face buried in one hand in this graphite on paper figure study (1772–78). Fine, nervous lines trace the taut limbs and arched back, reinforcing a sense of withdrawal. Within contemporary explorations of emotion, such a pensive pose stands opposite active or heroic figures and anticipates Romantic interest in inner states of mind.