Treppe in einer Kirche zu Nördlingen 

Karl Ballenberger produced this drawing of a staircase in a church in Nördlingen using graphite on paper. At first glance, the composition presents a study in contrasts, as the solidity of the architectural elements encounters the airy lightness suggested by the drawing's medium. The geometric precision with which Ballenberger renders the staircase, arches, and vaults is striking. Ballenberger's stark linework is not merely descriptive; it creates a visual syntax that invites us to consider the interplay between line, space, and form. The arches, meticulously drafted, frame our view while guiding the eye upwards, engaging with the philosophical discourse of space and perspective. The staircase itself becomes a sign—a structure with coded meanings relating to ascension and transition. Consider how the drawing's rigorous geometry hints at the cultural codes embedded in architectural forms, and how Ballenberger's emphasis on linearity serves to both reveal and question these underlying structures.