Puck mit angedeuteter Kleidung, erhobenem Zeigefinger und in die Seite gestütztem Arm, gehend, nach links c. 1867 - 1868

Editor: This is Paul Konewka’s "Puck mit angedeuteter Kleidung, erhobenem Zeigefinger und in die Seite gestütztem Arm, gehend, nach links," a pencil drawing from around 1867-1868. It has a very preliminary, sketchbook feel. What do you see in this piece, considering it’s now in the Städel Museum collection? Curator: It's interesting to consider this within its historical context. Mid-19th century, a period of immense social upheaval, class struggles and nascent socialist movements. This sketch, a depiction of Puck, or perhaps a comment on the industrial revolution. Editor: Puck? Like Shakespeare’s Puck? Curator: Exactly! Consider Puck, the mischievous sprite. Here, Konewka portrays him with a raised finger, almost scolding. Could this be a critique of societal norms or perhaps an accusation toward those perpetuating systems of inequality? Is the simplicity of the sketch a deliberate choice, echoing the raw realities of the time? It looks so simple, almost like a caricature. What are your thoughts? Editor: I didn’t think about it that way! I saw it as just a character study, but the raised finger does change things. Maybe he's challenging our perception of idealized figures from mythology. Curator: Precisely! Art constantly engages in this dialogue between past and present. Even a seemingly simple sketch like this can reflect anxieties and aspirations surrounding issues of class and the structures that were rapidly being transformed around the time this was made. What does considering those contemporary issues do for your impressions of the work? Editor: I definitely see it differently now. It’s not just a drawing; it’s a silent, perhaps subversive, commentary. I had no idea a small sketch could carry such weight. Curator: Exactly. That’s the power of situating art within a broader social framework – revealing layers of meaning previously unseen.