Zur freundlichen Erinnerung 1852 1852

Curator: This delightful drawing, “Zur freundlichen Erinnerung 1852,” by Max von Berchem is, at first glance, a marvel of delicate penmanship, isn’t it? Editor: It is! Looking at this pen and ink drawing I am immediately struck by its delicate balance and detailed composition, especially the interwoven foliage, ribbons, and type, reminiscent of gothic calligraphy. It almost feels like peering into a botanical fairytale. What catches your eye when you observe it? Curator: For me, it's the whisper of transience. "Zur freundlichen Erinnerung" translates to "In friendly remembrance," so immediately, the work becomes imbued with longing. What is being remembered? The ink drawing, a flurry of hand lettering and floral ornament, is both light-hearted and poignant. Editor: Do you think it could have been a study for a larger illuminated manuscript perhaps? Curator: Possibly, though I feel it possesses a beautiful, intimate completeness all its own. The blend of ink drawing with what looks like pen-work is fascinating, it's this experimentation that lends the whole thing such an air of, I don't know, reflective longing... Doesn’t the composition almost resemble a page torn from a personal sketchbook? What feelings arise when you compare the calligraphy to the vine ornaments? Editor: Now that you mention it, the calligraphy *is* more rigid, the lettering being bolder. Curator: Precisely! To my eye the drawing technique applied to both are so vastly different, I almost think that maybe this was two works grafted together! As if to express two contrasting thoughts... it brings it into sharper relief. Editor: Interesting, so the two elements are in conversation, instead of merely acting as one! The rigidity in the lettering really does stand out more now. This conversation has certainly re-oriented my reading of the drawing, making me rethink my ideas and preconceptions. Curator: As it should, darling. As it should! It reminds us of art’s power to be both aesthetically beautiful and deeply emotionally resonant and in tension at once.