The Outcasts, 1898

The drawing The Outcasts is one of the highlights of Minne's oeuvre of drawings. Created just before the turn of the century in 1900, it combines several aspects of his linear drawing style. On the one hand, there is the far-reaching distortion and elongation of the figures. The artist accentuated their joints and angularly protruding body parts, for example in the bony arms and elbows and also in the ribs of the figure on the right. The entwined arms and the cramped grip of the hands reinforce their unfortunate connection. In contrast to these expressive details, there is the sad resignation that Minne expressed in the faces of the figures. The figure on the left seeks protection and security from his fellow sufferer, by placing his head against his shoulder. In this gentle embrace, their wavy, linearly drawn hair merges. Solid, on the other hand, is the almost sculptural folding that carries the extreme pathos of The Outcasts like a pedestal. As in his sculpture, Minne also sought unity here by presenting this universal theme in a powerful and at the same time balanced manner. Until recently, this drawing was only known via a photolithography (private collection). The museum purchased this drawing in 2007 from the old collection of Leo Van Puyvelde, one of the earliest biographers of the artist.