The Wounded

• Jan Štursa (1880–1925)
• c. 1920
• Bronze, dark brown patina on a stone base
• Leopold Museum, Vienna

This sculpture captures a fleeting moment of movement. The figure has raised his arms to protect the head and is standing on the balls of his feet with his legs crossed, about to lose balance and topple forward. The unscathed body, whose molded surface subtly reflects the light, illustrates the figure’s psychological vulnerability and fragility. The extreme emotion expressed by the form of human body is reminiscent of Egon Schiele’s drawings. As was common for artists at the time, Štursa exchanged works with Schiele, a close acquaintance.