Searching for the Form

This sheet of initial preparatory sketches shows Weiss searching for the form of a Chopin portrait, and the concept emerging in the artist's mind. These drawings give us an insight into the imagination of the artist, enabling us to trace the motifs that interested him, leading to the final form of the painting's message. Undoubtedly the most easily readable is the composer's clearly defined profile located in the sheet's lower corner. Drawn with a single stroke of the pencil, it is obscured by random lines of restless creative invention, so that two figures holding a conversation suddenly appear in the thicket of pencil lines. Played out alongside this is a scene of a kiss being stolen at the piano. This can refer to both Chopin's figure as well as Weiss's own experiences, as he enjoyed playing duets with charming young women, including the oft-portrayed Róża Schleichkorn and a cousin from Vienna. Above this scene appears a vibrant sketch of the pianist absorbed in a performance. In this drawing, as in the other pictures of the composer, the artist characteristically shows hands like claws that dig into the harmonious arrangement of the keyboard.