Vaulted stairs Possibly 1827 - 1830

This is Friedrich Maximilian Hessemer’s drawing, Vaulted Stairs, currently held at the Städel Museum. The composition presents an interior space articulated with precision. Hessemer invites us into a world defined by vaulted ceilings, slender columns, and a prominent staircase. The cool tones and meticulous lines evoke a sense of architectural purity. The drawing explores a tension between verticality and depth, guiding the eye upward. The composition suggests a space where the viewer is both grounded and led toward ascension. The staircases become a symbol of transition and the promise of revelation. Hessemer carefully arranges the elements in a way that echoes the structuralist belief in underlying systems. The drawing hints at a semiotic system where architectural forms are signs that point to deeper cultural meanings. The architecture speaks to a moment of cultural transformation through geometric abstraction and symbolic representation. The drawing becomes not just a depiction of space but an exploration of how architecture itself shapes our perceptions.