Town hall of Posen 1904

Bernhard Mannfeld made this drawing of the Town Hall of Posen using graphite and watercolor. These are traditional media, but they are used here to render a very specific subject: not just a building, but a central place of civic engagement. Mannfeld’s choice of monochromatic watercolor, paired with graphite, lends the image a documentary feel. It’s as if he wants to show the labor involved in civic life, too. See the tiny figures populating the scene – each one like a mark made with a brush. This is a scene of social action, where people converge for work, trade, and maybe even dissent. The drawing captures a moment in the life of a town. So, consider how the materials and their application here serve to elevate the subject matter. Mannfeld asks us to see the value in everyday life, rendered with the careful hand of the artist. He blurs the lines between the fine and the functional.