The Elfin King 2 [Father and son gallop furiously away] 1924

Curator: Ernst Barlach's evocative drawing, "The Elfin King 2," currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums, captures a father and son in frantic flight. Editor: The lithographic crayon feels rushed, almost panicked, doesn't it? The texture alone conveys a sense of urgency and distress. Curator: Absolutely. This piece visualizes Goethe's poem, "Erlkönig," where the Elfin King symbolizes death, preying on the vulnerable child. Barlach often used such figures to represent unseen, often malevolent, forces. Editor: I see the material reflecting Barlach's expressionist leanings, using the lithographic process to tap into raw emotional states and the anxieties of his time. The dark hatching, the stark contrast of light and shadow—it all speaks to a deeper unease. Curator: Indeed, the image becomes a vessel carrying collective fears, the ever-present threat lurking in the shadows of the human psyche. Editor: It makes you think about how artistic choices amplify the poem's themes, using the very act of creation to mirror the story's desperate race against time. Curator: It's a compelling example of how visual art can embody cultural anxieties and psychological truths, offering a glimpse into our shared human experience. Editor: I am left contemplating the power of simple materials to evoke such intense emotion, reflecting on the labor and context of Barlach's practice.