An image from interwar Barcelona is quite ambivalent. It shows a boy sitting on the floor – possibly in the yard or balcony of his house – dressed in his best sailor suit, his expression difficult to interpret. Metal construction sets are placed before him, but he doesn’t seem to be enjoying himself. The boy is Joan Ainaud de Lasarte (1919–1995), who became a historian and art critic. He was the son of Manuel Ainaud Sánchez (1885–1932), a pedagogue, artist, and pioneer of photography in Catalonia. The picture is from 1928, the boy was therefore around nine years old. The photograph seems to be staged, the work of the proud parent who perhaps wanted to show that his son spent time with complex technical toys. The image offers hints – but no answers; in any case, it helps us to come closer to the boy and empathise with him.
