The Cunning Thief by Paul Charles Chocarne Moreau

Tweet

The joys of adolescence are probably the most colorful period of anyone’s life. During the time, one is doing all the good, bad and naughty things, which can make him pretty notorious in his locale. Those are also the activities which construct the base of one’s nature which he will bear for the rest of his life. And the bonus is that one gets the memories which he will not forget for the lifetime. It could be called as the golden period.

Here, Paul Charles Chocarne Moreau has depicted one moment from the same golden period of three adolescents. Actually, he has devoted his art towards such pranks acted by the real, poor kids of Paris of his contemporary times. Most of his oeuvre is filled with such painting describing the pranks of young youth.

As the painting says, it doesn’t matter if you are the prankster or being pranked upon, what matters is you had something to remember, something which could seem a very small incident but gives the person the whole lot of joy.

Here at this moment in the picture, all three are having the joy of their life. Nothing else is going on their mind. They are enjoying the current moment.

The boy who tastes the food is extremely happy because he is getting free food and is also smirking inside for the food he will get later which his friend is stealing silently on the back of the serving boy. The thief is joyous for the same reason. Well, the server boy’s mind is the most genuine one; as he is doing the ‘good’ thing by giving some food to his friend and is unknown about the fact even after his noble act, some thievery is happening on his back.

But, this is just innocent joy. That’s what you remember in later life. None is harmed and that’s enough. I am sure, if the picture is inspired from a real incident, there was nothing more than a littler friendly-quarrel after the realization of the funny facts.

The artist is trying to deliver the same cuteness, friendliness and memorable actions of adolescence by all of his art-works. By looking around the surroundings and the clothing of kids and the fact that even though the boy looks no more than 12 years old and is still working in bakery, not one of their parents are rich and neither the surroundings is a posh area and still they have found the innocent joy in simple things – without any iPhones, I pads or PCs.