Study of garments 

Bernhard Neher the Younger created this drawing, "Study of Garments," with pencil, its precise date unknown. Here at the Städel Museum, you'll notice how the composition is dominated by the sinuous lines that define the drapery. Neher’s focus on form and structure over substance creates a floating effect; the garments lack a clear referent, appearing almost like abstract shapes dancing across the paper. These shapes evoke ideas about representation and reality. Neher seems less interested in accurately depicting clothes than in exploring the interplay of light and shadow, line and form. This method underscores the semiotic nature of clothing as not just functional coverings, but also as signs with cultural and social meanings. Ultimately, Neher's drawing serves as an exercise in perception, inviting us to look beyond the literal and consider how the formal qualities of art—line, shape, and composition—can function as a kind of language, one that expresses ideas about the world.