Flock of sheep on an avenue 

Curator: Here we have a compelling drawing by Max Liebermann entitled, "Flock of Sheep on an Avenue." You can find it in the Städel Museum collection. Liebermann employed pencil, chalk and pastel to render this scene. Editor: It strikes me as melancholic. The muted tones, the somber landscape, and even the way the sheep are clustered together, it feels almost…dirge-like. Curator: I can see that. Liebermann's work often grappled with the changing landscapes of Europe, particularly the encroachment of industrialization on rural life. This drawing may reflect anxieties around those shifts. The composition places the flock within the context of formal European gardens. Editor: It’s a jarring contrast, that neat structure of the avenue against the naturalness of the animals. Are they contained, directed…commodified even? One has to think of power structures, our manipulation of the natural world and whether it’s right. Curator: Precisely. His commitment to depicting everyday life, however, sometimes put him at odds with the more avant-garde movements of his time, though today he is viewed as pivotal in bringing Impressionism to Germany. Editor: He’s presenting the pastoral in a complicated way. Look at the shadows, the way light is hitting individual animals – it's not romanticized. He's not shying away from a certain…mundanity? Perhaps Liebermann critiques how humans view other animals and how little value they are granted in society? Curator: Indeed. The lack of sharp detail invites viewers to consider their own relationship with nature and progress. Consider too, that his own Jewish identity shaped his complex relationship to German society, giving his pastoral scenes a dimension often overlooked. Editor: Thanks, I am more thoughtful of how environment can be an allegory to humans. Curator: Absolutely. Liebermann used a subdued color palette and gestural lines that encourages viewers to interpret beyond the immediately visible scene. It makes the landscape relevant for the socio-political landscape that informed it.