Ilse, a 14 year old poor girl who knows Moritz, Wendla and the others. She doesn’t live at home anymore, having turned to a Bohemian lifestyle; debauchery, drinking and late nights. She poses in the nude for various artists as their muse, who kiss her frightfully, “frightfully, I tell you Moritz”. She beckons for attention, using her sexuality and plays=ing on her childish flirtation. Her games become more dangerous when she ends up in Heinrich’s place. She poses every morning in his Persian dressing gown, every evening she walks around in a black Page boy tunic. Ilse is most drawn to beautiful things; white lace, cuffs, collar and the world of the Carnival. The glitter, fancy dress balls, cellar reviews, late nights at the cafes and lunches at the lakes are so much better than her own shabby background. Ilse is terrifed when she begins to see through the magic, the dazzle crumbles when in fact the man who she stays with threatens her with a pistol.Pushing it into her breast “One twitch and I press”
He photographs her posing as classic beauties of the Renaissance. He Ilse fulfills the function of representing every parents’ worst fear: their child roaming free at the mercy of the darkness and desires of others
“Once as Ariadne on the arm of the Sofa,”
“Once as Leda,” (seduced or raped by Zeus in the form of Swan)
“Once as Ganymede”
Insect in Amber 