Friedberg in Hessia 

Curator: This is Peter Becker's delicate landscape, "Friedberg in Hessia," currently held here at the Städel Museum. It’s a plein-air sketch, rendered in pencil and watercolor on paper. Editor: There's an ethereal quality to this piece. The washes of pale green and faint outlines suggest a scene almost dissolving into the light. The architecture looks…dreamlike. Curator: Dreamlike is a good word. Becker, though active in the later half of the 20th century, draws upon older Romantic traditions. Notice the barely-there figures in the foreground. They're reminiscent of the Rückenfigur, figures seen from behind, common in Caspar David Friedrich. They encourage contemplation, a sense of immersion within the scene. Editor: And yet the town itself is prominent, anchoring the composition. Was Friedberg a place of particular political or cultural significance that he wanted to highlight? Curator: Friedberg holds a specific resonance within the history of Hesse, serving as an important medieval center and free imperial city. The layering of political and cultural history in that cityscape—combined with the Romantic focus on nature—creates a fascinating dialogue between power structures and the landscape that contains them. Editor: So, by portraying the town, Becker is perhaps hinting at broader ideas of societal legacy and memory—rendered not through overt symbolism, but through place. The muted colors emphasize a subtle sense of historical weight. Curator: Precisely. He seems less interested in a literal depiction and more in capturing a sense of the place's inherent historical essence. A layering of moments, both concrete and spectral. Editor: It makes me think about the constant tension in landscape painting: between objective representation and subjective feeling, how we imprint ourselves onto the spaces we depict and inhabit. Becker has clearly let his personal connection to this place shape his technique, favoring emotion over photographic detail. Curator: A beautiful observation. A worthwhile thing to contemplate when you carry onward to the next artwork! Editor: Indeed, there’s a world contained within these simple washes and lines. A world worth remembering.