Bildhauer Schierholtz bei der Arbeit 1863

Wilhelm Busch created this drawing of a sculptor, whose name was Schierholtz, at work, sometime in the 19th century. Busch was a well known German artist in the late 1800s. Here, Schierholtz stands on a small platform, tools in hand, giving form to a large figure. There is something deeply humanizing in Busch's representation of Schierholtz. The soft lines and delicate shading suggest a shared understanding of labor, an intimate view into the life of a fellow artist. Busch refrains from romanticizing the artist as a solitary genius; instead, we see the everyday reality of making. Busch asks us to consider the value of labor and the dignity of the individual, reflected in the careful observation of Schierholtz's form. He emphasizes a sense of empathy, a reminder of our shared humanity, rendered in a way that feels both personal and universally resonant.