December. Design for a Ceiling Painting for the Café Bauer c. 1884

Curator: Hans Thoma's "December. Design for a Ceiling Painting for the Café Bauer," created around 1884, is quite the intriguing piece, isn't it? Editor: It certainly is. My immediate reaction is a feeling of whimsical melancholy. The pastel chalks and pencils create a muted, almost dreamlike quality. Is this for a café ceiling? That’s a fairly unconventional application of symbolism and fantasy! Curator: Precisely! Thoma’s piece intersects Romanticism and Symbolism, featuring figuration interwoven with rather peculiar details. Think about what it would have been like for the patrons there! It makes one think about gendered social space and consumerism. Editor: Interesting! For me it's really about how it's made. The use of watercolor mixed with pencil and chalk--the overlaying of these materials hints at the complex process of rendering such whimsical and unique subjects! This pre-dates the intense consumerism of digital interfaces and virtual reality, and yet…it’s also fantasy! Curator: Yes! And don’t you think that, situated in its time, this design also suggests Thoma's own social and political views? Look at the somewhat surreal depictions. Editor: I'm also looking at these babies--there is something in this artistic rendering that borders on the grotesque. It calls attention to a lack of uniformity and perfection. The imperfect execution of a ceiling suggests something subversive... a commentary. Curator: Exactly. His handling of themes invites considerations around class, politics, and even the commodification of art itself. The act of imagining a café ceiling transforms the space. Editor: It challenges conventional perspectives by bringing fantasy art into spaces designed for sociality and everyday rituals. And so much labour went into the process! Curator: Thinking about that process enriches my appreciation. Thoma encourages critical thought on intersectional experiences, as expressed through myth. Editor: Yes, these material considerations reveal an additional lens, an act of unveiling how artistic choices embody deeper reflections on humanity’s complexities. Curator: Absolutely! Editor: Indeed!