Gewölbeschlussstein in Sankt Zeno in Reichenhall 

Editor: So, this is a drawing entitled "Gewölbeschlussstein in Sankt Zeno in Reichenhall," created by Karl Ballenberger. It seems to be a pencil drawing, possibly a study, of some architectural detail in a church. It feels almost like looking at an idea in its embryonic stage. What speaks to you most when you look at this piece? Curator: Well, I find myself drawn to its fragility, ironically, for something depicting stone. There's a beautiful tension between the permanence implied by the architectural subject and the delicate impermanence of pencil on paper. It's like capturing a fleeting moment of inspiration related to something eternally present, in the realm of faith and the built environment. The unfinished quality encourages the imagination to fill in the blanks. Does it call to mind a time and place? Editor: Definitely Medieval, with the arches and the ornamentation. I’m also thinking about how architectural drawings can become historical artifacts in themselves, a document of lost building traditions. Do you think Ballenberger intended for this drawing to be anything more than a study? Curator: It’s difficult to say for certain. Sometimes, the purest form of artistic expression exists in these preparatory works, unburdened by the expectations of a finished product. Imagine him, standing in that old church, squinting up at the vaulting, sketching rapidly to capture the light, the form... In a way, it becomes a portrait, doesn't it? A portrait of a relationship between an artist and a space, mediated through line and form. Editor: That's beautifully put! I never really considered how a drawing could be a record of an encounter, rather than just an illustration of an object. It adds a whole other dimension to it. Curator: Precisely! And I find myself wondering, what else did Ballenberger see in that church? What was it like to stand where he stood? That simple sketch becomes a portal through time. Editor: Absolutely. I'll never look at an architectural drawing the same way again! Thanks for sharing that.