Ein Pfeife rauchender Mann, in einem Sessel ruhend 

Curator: Here we have a work entitled "Ein Pfeife rauchender Mann, in einem Sessel ruhend," or "A Man Smoking a Pipe, Resting in an Armchair," currently residing in the Städel Museum collection. It's attributed to Rudolf Gudden. Editor: My initial feeling? Weariness. A beautiful, honest weariness. It's a study in repose, in the aftermath of something... perhaps a life lived with intensity. Curator: The piece, a drawing on paper rendered with pencil, captures Gudden in what appears to be a very intimate, private moment. The sketch lines are loose, giving a sense of immediacy. It invites speculation, doesn't it, regarding what the "something" might be? Editor: Precisely. The way he’s slumped in the chair, the discarded pipe dangling – it hints at deep thought, maybe even a touch of melancholy. The objects surrounding him–the watering can, the plant, the fence outside the window—they create a domestic scene, yet there’s a sense of detachment, like he's only present physically. And look how the signature blends almost as naturally as other components, perhaps telling us that is but part of this composition? Curator: That integration into the composition raises a question about the social function of a work like this: Was it meant for public display, or was it intended as a personal reflection, perhaps even a therapeutic exercise? Its status as a work in the Städel suggests its eventual accessibility, however mediated by its institutional context. Editor: Perhaps both. All of us have thoughts which go deeper when they’re simply between ourselves, but aren’t meant to be shared. It is interesting to be able to be a guest for what, but a brief period, seems to be but such a period. In that moment, we consider our very meaning. We often forget about the garden which lies just out of view, beyond that rudimentary fence we perceive! The simple life we ought to nurture along, perhaps. Curator: Indeed, the work provokes contemplation of the self and the world, even if just outside. A sketch in pencil that invites such musings on its impact is impressive, because its status suggests that this wasn’t as grand of an objective for Gudden as perhaps a painter creating at large canvas size for patrons to consider in their foyers would have done. The sketch is the perfect setting. It is humble enough to approach and yet beautiful to experience. Editor: So much of existence comes from understanding not grand intention but mere appreciation of beauty within the humble or private sphere. It is beautiful, because as this composition displays for us, even when our objective isn’t the “lofty,” beauty finds its opportunity regardless.