Szene am Ausgang der Kirche_ Mephisto c. 1811

Editor: This is "Szene am Ausgang der Kirche_ Mephisto," a pencil drawing by Peter Cornelius from around 1811, currently at the Städel Museum. It's just a quick sketch, but the figure of Mephisto looks really theatrical. What stands out to you about the way Cornelius chose to represent him with pencil? Curator: The immediate draw for me is in thinking about Romanticism. This isn't some polished oil painting depicting a grand historical narrative; instead, we see the direct, unmediated mark of the artist's hand rendering the scene of a play. Notice, the *drawing* process is central here. It emphasizes the individual creation, the direct labour and act of making over a commodity, disrupting the rigid, academic painting establishment. Cornelius highlights the *means* of production, the intimacy of the studio. What are the material constraints here? The rough paper? A pencil? This brings art closer to craft, a tangible process anyone can perform. Editor: That's fascinating! I never thought about the choice of drawing as a sort of rebellious act. Curator: Exactly! The apparent sketchiness, even incompleteness of the work can be seen as its strength. It suggests Cornelius wasn’t interested in a slick, commercial artwork for the market but wanted instead to emphasise the *process* over a finalised product. That is, the actual art of making a scene from *Faust* more vividly. It suggests the role of the pencil wasn’t just to serve as a preparatory tool for a painting, but as the tool for an original work itself. Consider, too, how paper and pencil are comparatively available materials that level traditional notions of elite arts! Editor: So, by using a simple material like pencil, Cornelius is democratizing the artistic process and emphasizing craft. I will now notice drawing in collections, not as a mere preparatory instrument, but as artistic claim. Curator: Precisely. Reflect on what makes Cornelius tick when approaching your own artwork.