Winterlandschaft, Unterengadin 1930

Curator: A chill just went down my spine. Looking at it, I feel I can almost taste the dry, cold air. Editor: That's quite a reaction! We're looking at Jakob Nussbaum's "Winterlandschaft, Unterengadin," created around 1930. It's currently residing here at the Städel Museum, and it is a watercolour and drawing on paper, I think? What pulls you into this stark winter scene? Curator: It’s that sense of solitude, perhaps, or that vastness that’s simultaneously intimidating and comforting. You know, when I stand before this artwork I almost imagine standing at the top of the world. Everything becomes still, timeless. But is it that timeless, truly? Editor: Well, Nussbaum, though rooted in landscape, also explored social themes. Switzerland, between the wars, had very sharp divisions that weren't always visible from outside the nation. Nussbaum, painting these romantic vistas, consciously avoided showing certain elements like people or even towns sometimes. The lack of humanity and sense of 'emptiness' speaks powerfully of how the weight of societal issues perhaps contributed to the 'romantic solitude'. Curator: You think that is conscious on the artist's part? You feel the lack of the figurative element can have an artistic origin, too. Maybe he liked the contrast? Maybe, at its base, that bare tree represents persistence, while the snow suggests peace. Is not art at the base just a painting about peace and struggle? I just think the simplicity adds to the romantic and melancholic feeling I get from this piece. Editor: Indeed, the Romantic undercurrents are palpable, harkening back to an art that embraced the sublime power of nature. Yet, art is never truly apolitical, especially art produced during tumultuous times. To appreciate landscape art then requires acknowledging that context alongside the artist's style, no? Curator: I am so ready for a long hike in the woods after this talk. Editor: Then maybe that makes a strong comment for us, then! Thank you for joining me on this analysis!