Custom windows 

Curator: Here we have a drawing on paper called "Custom windows," by Karl Ballenberger, housed right here at the Städel Museum. Editor: My first thought is how ethereal it feels. It’s a simple drawing, yet the interplay of lines creates this almost otherworldly geometry. It's like looking at a fragment of a dream. Curator: Indeed. The geometric forms, primarily arches and pointed figures, give the composition structure and rhythm, as well as a sense of balanced symmetry. It invites us to look at the relationship between the lines themselves. Notice the subtle differences in pressure creating variation of the outlines? Editor: And it brings to mind sacred architecture immediately—the shapes recall Gothic windows, a potent symbol of spiritual yearning. The delicate lines feel like echoes of grand cathedrals and medieval stained glass. Perhaps it invites a certain kind of symbolic ascension. Curator: The lack of vibrant colors found in the windows themselves adds a kind of austere quality to the overall structure, focusing the viewers attention purely on structure. Without date of creation, one could also assume the reference to older works that had stained glass works from centuries ago. Editor: It does present an almost ghostly representation of craftsmanship in architecture as if capturing an old cathedral is only visible with pen lines on paper. Like looking through layers of architectural memory that are not to scale nor functional but emotionally loaded with an era where architectural achievements took new hights in geometrical problem solving. Curator: Precisely. By removing all that material richness and visual embellishments, the artwork asks us to consider structure first. We see the underlying syntax of a very familiar sacred cultural image stripped down into form and shapes. Editor: Ultimately, I see a humble medium transformed into a vehicle for capturing complex spiritual meaning embedded in architecture throughout European History. Curator: It demonstrates the power that abstract composition and geometry hold on human emotion, transcending beyond surface-level religious iconography. Editor: It certainly adds another rich layer when visiting architectural works displayed at our museum, and to understand architecture history is one aspect, but understand how deeply people valued and gave the religious implication, is very moving.