Landing 1918

Curator: Editor: Here we have Alexander Soldenhoff's "Landing," created in 1918, a drawing rendered in ink and presently residing at the Städel Museum. The stark, almost hurried lines give it a sense of immediacy. What can you tell us about how its made? Curator: I am struck by how the materials speak to the artwork's time. 1918, the end of World War I, resources were strained. That Soldenhoff used readily available ink and paper emphasizes the socio-economic constraints of the time. Do you notice how the very act of drawing, quickly, using inexpensive materials, challenges any romantic notion of art production? Editor: So, the choice of ink and paper isn't just a practical one, but a statement in itself? How does the 'line' style play into this? Curator: Precisely. The 'line' style, almost telegraphic in its brevity, hints at a workforce deeply impacted by conflict and limited access to extensive training. It’s function over form, and that is part of it's charm. One wonders what conditions shaped not only the material, but also the laborers. The rough style serves the thematic concerns well. Editor: That’s a very insightful interpretation. The idea that the drawing style itself could be a commentary on working conditions during wartime is fascinating. So, thinking about it as a product of its time and circumstance... I get that! Curator: It makes you think differently about the purpose of art during upheaval, doesn’t it? Not beauty necessarily, but as record, an accounting...a protest of sorts.