In his early stages as an artist, Nonell worked with illustrations and contributed his first creations to La Vanguardia in 1894. Later, he collaborated with other publications, including L’Esquella de la Torratxa, Barcelona Cómica, Pèl & Ploma, Forma and Papitu.

This drawing comes from the artist’s final period. It is a preparatory sketch for two illustrations for Papitu, a magazine he collaborated with since it was founded in 1908. Nonell’s modern style of drawing adapted to perfection to the tone of the magazine, known for its satirical and subversive stance. The collaboration of the Catalan artist with the magazine was highly fruitful, and, as a whole, he published around 42 drawings in it. This success partially made up for the negative reception his painting had received in Barcelona in the early twentieth century. In the magazine, Nonell’s work was admired and highly valued and the editorial board of Papitu also instrumental in his later success among critics and public, promoting an exhibition at Faianç Catalá in 1910.

The last illustrations made by Nonell for Papitu were published in the issues dated 30^th June and 25^th August 1909. In them, the character seen in this sketch is talking to another teenager: “Y tu ¿de que vols fer?” / ”Jo rai… no m´hi amoino gens: quan tingui vint anys viuré de les dònes” (“What about you? What are you going to do?” / “Me? No problem... I have no worries: when I’m twenty I’ll live off women”).

Drawing was an important part of the artist’s output, with a quality on a par with his marvellous paintings. His wavy and winding lines were a signature feature of his work on paper. Nonell created pieces like this drawing using long, continuous strokes, playing with the layering of lines and the pressure exerted by the chosen tool −in this case the grease pencil− on the paper, to define and create lights and shadows. The end result is a work of the utmost quality and spontaneity, a small but wonderful example of a great artist’s oeuvre.