The Hermit (II)

Travis K. Schwab’s "The Hermit (II)" is as compelling as it is disconcerting. The figure's expression is directed away from the viewer, connoting an introspective state where one moves inwards, away from the external world. We get the impression that the figure could care less about its audience; if they are even still capable of caring. The black shroud obscuring them resembles the slit in a body bag through which the deceased features can be seen. However, not all is lost for the hermit, as the life inherent in their rosy lips stands in opposition to the deathly pallor of their skin and their vacant eyes. I like to think, the hermit is turning away from a window (draped with a particularly morbid shade), and, disinterested in the life they see outside it, returning to the solitary musings that occupied them before their uninspiring observations of the world beyond.