Portrait of a Child

Leaning on the stone jamb of a door with his face resting on his folded hands, a child meditates engrossed in vaguely melancholic thoughts with a hopeful look. The subtle hues of colours and a skilful pictorial spread make tangible the feeling of tenderness filling the child’s face, which is supported by a very accurate drawing. Lega works out a shape which immediately becomes a sort of mix of all the elements to the point of being abstract, as in the rose decoration, while the face and clothes are meticulously described.