Gewand der Sitzenden aus der _Vorbereitung zum Kostümball_ c. 1879 - 1880

Curator: Otto Scholderer’s drawing, "Gewand der Sitzenden aus der _Vorbereitung zum Kostümball_," from around 1879, offers a glimpse into the artistic process of costume design for a ball. I wonder what captures your attention most? Editor: The ghostly, unfinished quality is what strikes me immediately. You see the fabric rendered in meticulous detail with chalk and pencil on paper, yet the figure itself fades into ethereal abstraction above the neck. Curator: Precisely! There's a tangible weight in the draped fabric—you almost feel the texture of the cloth—versus the implied presence of the figure, lost in a swirl of anticipation for the masked ball. Editor: Right! The emphasis on the materiality here – the costume, the paper itself – speaks to a focus on labor and the act of creation. The finished image will be the celebrated element, while all the preparatory labour that goes into production is lost to the eye of the spectator. But here, the art historical underdog steps onto the center stage. Curator: That makes me consider the missing head in this image. What face will wear this costume? Is this a mere sketch for conveying form or the embodiment of a specific personality about to unfold? It is pregnant with possibility. Editor: It could be a representation of labour itself: hands, cloth, sketch paper: elements from which everything that is perceived springs into being, but which can never become whole unless art-making as an endeavor is included in its rendering. Curator: Perhaps Scholderer saw the inherent drama in the making, the anticipation, the secrets swirling within those preparatory moments. Editor: Precisely! Scholderer makes us reflect on what goes into a masterpiece instead of only dwelling on its beauty. It demands that we reconsider beauty as but a small piece in artmaking. Curator: What a delicious behind-the-scenes moment frozen in time, before the spectacle takes center stage. Editor: Agreed, a celebration of materiality over mere appearances.