Gretchen Fainting at Church 1816

Curator: Here we have Ferdinand Ruscheweyh's "Gretchen Fainting at Church," a drawing of impressive scale. The figures seem to be constructed from very delicate lines; it's quite elegant. Editor: Elegance is one word for it. I'm drawn to the paper itself—the deckled edges, its clear hand-made quality. Consider the socio-economic implications: who had access to such material? Curator: Good point. You can really see the artist grappling with light and shadow. The way he uses hatching to model the forms is quite striking, almost sculptural. Editor: I agree, and the implied narrative is interesting. Was this piece commissioned? Was it made for sale? It suggests a wealthy patron and the social structures that support that wealth. Curator: It certainly invites many questions about the context in which it was produced. It's a beautifully rendered scene, no matter how you look at it. Editor: Indeed. And thinking about the labor involved, the paper, the drawing, the context of religious life, we've only scratched the surface today.