Oberon, in der linken Hand die Lanze haltend, nackt und schwebend, nach links c. 1867 - 1868

Curator: Paul Konewka created this pencil drawing around 1867 or 1868, presenting the figure of Oberon suspended in mid-air, spear in hand. It’s currently held in the Städel Museum collection. Editor: My first impression? There's a haunting vulnerability. He's like a wisp of a dream, almost fading from the paper. You feel this delicate power balanced with something fleeting. Curator: Indeed. Konewka’s rendering evokes a specific visual vocabulary tied to Romanticism’s emphasis on emotion and the supernatural. Think about the narratives it echoes – fairy tales, classical mythology, their resurgence in 19th-century thought. Where do you place the body’s presence here? Editor: That's the thing, right? It's a sketch, raw. The nudity feels exposed, not sexualized exactly, but simply, vulnerably present. It reminds me of my own artistic process – the quickness, the rawness, the exposure of inner workings. I also see a precursor to graphic novel aesthetics. The economy of line is extraordinary; it communicates the story so minimally. Curator: His style underscores larger themes, particularly masculinity, within fairy tales during this time period. Romanticism reframed myth, positioning characters like Oberon within discussions about idealised forms and political power, often coded within social constructs that prescribed normative genders and political dominance. It almost feels contradictory, wouldn't you agree? A fragile king wielding great power. Editor: Contradictory, yes! Like, does he *want* to be seen? Or is he half-present, an echo? It feels intimate and performative at the same time. As an artist I feel I recognize that impulse to whisper ideas, to be heard just so. Curator: Thinking about this whisper within visual culture reminds me about the accessibility of mythologies in current discourses about justice and resistance. We need this nuance, this "in-betweenness" to negotiate these ideas better. Editor: Absolutely. And as an artist, this has made me reflect upon the ways power can be shown and unshown. Powerful image; it’s stuck with me!