Forest path 

Editor: We’re looking at "Forest Path," a pencil drawing on paper, artist Peter Becker, at the Städel Museum. It feels incredibly intricate and detailed. The lines create almost a hazy atmosphere, which I find soothing, like a half-remembered dream of being lost in the woods. What jumps out at you when you see it? Curator: Ah, a forest! As an old tree myself, I’m always drawn to landscapes like this. Notice how the pencil lines aren’t just describing the trees, they're almost breathing life into them. It's as if Becker is feeling the texture of the bark, the fragility of the leaves. Have you ever tried to capture a landscape that intimately? It becomes less about representation and more about embodying. Editor: I see what you mean. It does feel very personal, like the artist was really present in that moment. Was this kind of detailed nature study common at the time? Curator: Absolutely! This intense observation of nature ties back to Romanticism – that desire to connect with something bigger than yourself. You almost lose yourself within those branches, don't you? The simplicity of pencil on paper allows the artist to focus on the raw essence, stripping away artifice. What do you feel when you look at the blank spaces – where the paper shines through? Editor: I hadn’t thought about that. It almost feels like dappled sunlight, or a gentle breeze moving through the leaves, like moments of clarity in the forest’s dense mystery. Curator: Exactly! Those are spaces for our imagination to wander. Becker isn't telling us everything, but inviting us to get lost. Maybe that forest dream wasn't half-remembered after all, but waiting to be explored! Editor: I never thought of negative space that way before. It definitely makes me appreciate how much thought goes into even the simplest looking works. Curator: Indeed, my young scholar. It is more than just seeing what is on the surface. It is seeing what is NOT on the surface. A profound silence, indeed!