"L'aglion"-- Rivka Nipper 2011
While studying in Austria, I of course visited Schönbrunn; I saw his death-bust in the Napoleonzimmer, and it was just about the most beautiful and haunting thing I'd ever seen. You can see the skull under the boy's skin, the sculptor was so delicate in his portrayal. He really looks like a sad, lonely, handsome kid whose health has been wasting away in exile.
I couldn't photograph him, and there was nothing in the gift shop or anywhere that I could find with a picture of the bust. I found a few pictures on the internet after much trawling, but the delicacy and detail of the statue were lost.
When my parents and I went back to Vienna this summer, I had to visit him again. Still wasn't allowed to take pictures, but there is nothing that says I couldn't stand there with a sketch pad and DRAW the little prince. I probably annoyed the hell out of the Czech tour guide who was trying to herd a crowd of 50 people through the palace, but it was worth it.
I haven't sketched him perfectly. My life-drawing skills are far from adequate. But I think I managed to catch a little of what was most important to me in the sketch, and that's probably more than I could have gotten with a quick snapshot anyway.
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