Landscape 

Curator: Let's turn our attention to this sketch, titled simply "Landscape", rendered by Johann Wilhelm Schirmer. We believe it was likely executed as a study piece sometime in the 19th century. Editor: It's remarkably understated. Almost like a half-remembered dream of a landscape rather than a concrete place. It definitely makes you want to stare a long time. Curator: Yes, there’s a ghostly quality to it. Schirmer worked primarily with pencil, chalk, and graphite on paper to construct this composition. You can almost feel him working rapidly, mapping out the contours with spare, searching lines. Editor: Looking at the subtle variations in the graphite itself, the layering and blending... It’s clear that this was very tactile and not merely about visual representation, or illusion of such. There’s something inherently appealing to that kind of "making of" visible here. You can practically smell the chalk dust. Curator: Precisely. His background really demonstrates the early influence of Romanticism. Look closely at how light seems to diffuse through the muted tones, enveloping the landscape in an atmospheric haze. There's a feeling of awe...perhaps even a hint of melancholy? Editor: Melancholy certainly fits. It reminds me how integral the industrial revolution was at the time – all of the new paper production meant artworks like these could proliferate, allowing for a kind of democratization of art. Not to romanticize the grind too much! Curator: I agree entirely; the accessibility surely gave way to more intimate expressions like this. Editor: Well, it has given me a lot to think about, and a new appreciation for Schirmer’s mark-making in relation to this landscape. Curator: Indeed, seeing his method so exposed makes me appreciate even more his particular approach.