Interior of a Forge 

J. Reichenbach’s “Interior of a Forge”, located in the Städel Museum, invites us into a dimly lit space, masterfully rendered with oils on canvas. The composition is immediately striking: dark, enveloping tones pierced by the intense, almost violent light of the forge. The artist's handling of light is paramount here. It not only illuminates the figures at work but also sculpts the space, creating a dynamic interplay between presence and absence. This deliberate use of chiaroscuro echoes the philosophies of presence and being. The structural arrangement, with its careful distribution of light and shadow, transcends mere representation. It delves into the philosophical discourse on perception and reality, using the forge as a locus where the visible and the unseen intersect. The artwork challenges fixed meanings, suggesting a world where the act of seeing is also an act of interpreting and questioning what lies beneath the surface.