Rock formation 

Editor: So, this is "Rock Formation" by Franz Kobell, done in ink, a drawing...it feels very dramatic and imposing, with those huge rocks towering over everything. What do you make of it? Curator: Imposing is right. It's got a real fairytale quality to it, doesn't it? I find myself thinking about giants, and hidden pathways… See how the ink washes create these ethereal shadows, almost like the rocks are breathing. Do you get that sense of, perhaps, contained power? Editor: Absolutely. I hadn’t thought of "contained," but that nails it. Like it’s all holding its breath. Why focus so intently on a rock, though? Curator: That’s the Romantics for you! They saw raw, untamed nature as sublime, capable of evoking powerful emotions, unlike those prissy neoclassical landscapes of manicured gardens and contrived vistas. These weren't just rocks; they were expressions of nature's brute strength. Imagine standing before that. Editor: Okay, I can see it...kind of like the artistic equivalent of shouting into the Grand Canyon. It's interesting how a simple ink drawing can still pack so much of an emotional punch. It makes me want to find some big rocks. Curator: And sketch them! The beauty of it lies in its evocative, rather than descriptive, power, doesn't it? An emotional encounter captured on paper, passed on to us. Just brilliant!