Kniende vor einer Kiste aus der _Vorbereitung zum Kostümball_ c. 1879 - 1880

Otto Scholderer made this pencil drawing called *Kneeling Before a Box from the Costume Ball Preparation* sometime in the mid-to-late 19th century. It shows two women, presumably from the middle or upper classes given their access to costume balls, kneeling before a box and preparing their costumes. In this period, art academies were becoming more prominent, shaping artistic styles and tastes. Artists were faced with decisions about whether to conform to academic standards or to pursue more radical styles and subjects. Scholderer was associated with the Kronberg School, which favored genre and landscape painting. So we can consider this drawing within the context of genre painting and its focus on scenes of everyday life, and how art was used to depict and reinforce social norms and class distinctions. To fully appreciate this drawing, researching the history of costume balls in 19th-century Germany, gender roles, and the art market of the time would give us further insight.