Compelling Faces in Art - Ludwig Meidner, Portrait eines jungen Mannes [Portrait of a young man], 1915.

Portrait eines jungen Mannes [Portrait of a young man], 1915, is an example of German Expressionism by Ludwig Meidner. Meidner started out painting apocalyptic landscapes, anticipating the First World War, that are considered some of the purest "expressionist" works. After the war he turned to producing religious paintings, including a long and repetitive series of portraits of prophets. He was also an habitual self portraitist, and wrote several books of dense expressionist prose. 

The subject is so interesting here, because he so accurately captures the deep gravity and seriousness of youth; truth examined with impunity, offering the promise of happiness, only to be confronted with the realities of grief; contact with what is perceived to be real, has the potential to leave one bruised and wounded, victim of a conspiracy. The world for this young man is nothing more than the terrible disease of loneliness. It is his duty to scorn the disquietude of time.