Beatus 1920

Curator: Here we have Ernst Oppler’s "Beatus", created around 1920. It's a print, specifically an etching on paper. What are your first impressions? Editor: There’s such a delicacy to it. The almost weightless lines give this young server a whimsical presence. I imagine her floating through a grand ballroom. Curator: That’s quite fitting, considering Oppler’s background. He’s well known for his paintings and prints capturing ballet dancers and the Berlin theatre scene. This echoes that world, doesn't it? A bit of stagecraft is present. Editor: Absolutely! And "Beatus"... it’s a wonderfully ambiguous title. She appears serene, perhaps even blessed, as she goes about what must be a rather physically demanding job. I am so drawn to her confidence and the contrast with the visible physical effort, emphasized by the line drawing technique. The black bow on her hair brings me to the silent film stars. Curator: I find the economy of line fascinating, how just a few marks create such a sense of volume in her skirt or the weight of the tray. And look at the slightly obscured content of her tray; all potential and anticipation! The name could also derive from the latin verb "beare", meaning to bless or to gladden... the person that will be graced by that service. Editor: True, true. A bringer of gladness... it gives me goosebumps just thinking how something like an art piece from so long ago carries the memory and visual meaning to our present. The print almost elevates the everyday into something sacred. It reminds me of when an actor prepares; an attitude where every movement or gesture is sacred, meaningful. Curator: Yes, precisely. We’re drawn into the everyday. But "everydayness" can be special in its own way. Editor: Thinking of it now... Perhaps "Beatus" is both blessed, and a blesser, then. Quite poignant. Thank you! Curator: Thanks to you as well. Another detail revealed in our talk!