image essay #8

Birthday Boy, by Eric Fischl. Eric Fischl's paintings deal with the coming of age for mainly young adolescent boys. In Birthday boy, Fischl portrays a young boy on a bed with a much older woman. Both figures are portrayed nude. It is unclear the exact relationship between the two, but nonetheless we get the sense that the boy is seeing something he should not. There is certainly a feeling of inappropriateness, and uneasiness for the viewer. I believe the first reaction is that one should not be looking at the two of them, as if the viewer is invading their privacy. Yet when you allow yourself to look further there is this uncomfortable ness. We question why is this young boy with, and looking at the woman. Also the positions of the two figures give way to further questioning, such as why the woman’s legs are spread. They are very suggestive. It is unclear to me whether the woman’s left leg is simply in the foreground or actually touching the boy’s shoulder; the answer could lead the viewer to secondary questioning. Fischl does have an extraordinary capability of color. The painting has this remarkable red and gray tone. I believe that the red makes the viewer feel embarrassment, and also may imply sex, passion, exploration and temptation. Birthday Boy is a very successful painting with its interesting subject of the boy approaching puberty, as well as its great use of color.