Ballad of the Involuntary and Voluntary Fall (Ballade vom unfreiwilligen und vom freiwilligen Sturz) 1911

Curator: Welcome. We are looking at "Ballad of the Involuntary and Voluntary Fall" by Moriz Jung, a print and pen drawing on paper completed in 1911. It’s part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. Editor: It's quite striking! At first glance, it feels chaotic, like a series of mishaps unfolding in vivid color. There's an almost comic strip-like quality, but with a distinct undertone of anxiety. The rendering is somewhat naive. Curator: Jung was very interested in pushing boundaries between craft and high art, using common material and printing to reach a broader audience. Editor: Absolutely. The social context of pre-World War I Europe is vital here. Notice how the imagery—the falling figures, the chaotic interiors—mirrors the societal anxieties of the time. The use of a “ballad” as a form situates it within a tradition of storytelling that often conveys political or social commentary. Curator: I think this work provides visual storytelling through materials that echo working-class readership. The artist utilizes cheap papers and rudimentary processes. Editor: And the subject matter! A man falling from a plane is greeted by death figures? And there’s another scene where an embrace happens after he falls from what appears to be a closet. He is celebrated with a sign of what seems like impending doom, which speaks to a broader cultural fascination with progress and its potential dangers, but with a very funny, yet unnerving undertone. Curator: Looking closer, it does become clear that, while whimsical, the process is rooted in the expressionist moment. It utilizes readily available materials that democratize this artistic endeavor. Editor: Indeed. The bold lines, the simplified forms—all of this pushes against traditional academic styles and embodies a modern sentiment in the early 20th century of fragmentation and uncertainty. Curator: I appreciate how examining the materiality alongside its social and historical narrative informs a richer dialogue around art's place in everyday discourse. Editor: For me, seeing art as a reflection of the cultural moment underscores how it shapes—and is shaped by— prevailing attitudes towards change, progress, and relationships of love and death.