Stehende und liegende Ziege 

Editor: Here we have "Stehende und liegende Ziege"—"Standing and lying goat"—a drawing housed at the Städel Museum. From what I can tell, it's rendered in pencil, chalk, and charcoal. Something about its simplicity is really captivating. What stands out to you when you look at this drawing? Curator: Well, first, I'm immediately transported! The artist, Friedrich Wilhelm Hirt, captures these goats with such loving detail, doesn't he? It's more than just observation; it feels like a kinship. Look at the texture he coaxes from the charcoal – that wiry, almost rebellious coat of the standing goat. You can almost smell the pasture, can’t you? I’d bet anything he spent hours just watching them. I wonder, what stories did Hirt see in their eyes? Editor: That’s a gorgeous interpretation. I hadn't considered the time spent observing, but that makes total sense. I guess I was so caught up in the technique; I wasn’t really paying attention to the emotional resonance. The 'kinship,' as you say. Curator: Exactly! Technique serves feeling. Think about it: that laid-back goat in the background, the soft lines there, it gives you that calm, rural vibe, wouldn’t you agree? Now imagine it all angular and bold. Different story entirely. The paper breathes the stillness of a country afternoon. Tell me, does it stir anything in you? A childhood memory, perhaps? Editor: Actually, it does remind me of a farm my grandparents used to take me to! I remember the goats being particularly stubborn. It’s so interesting how the drawing can evoke such specific memories and feelings. It shows a kind of…sensitivity? Curator: Precisely! And that’s where the magic happens. It's not just about goats on paper, is it? It’s about the shared experience, filtered through Hirt’s unique lens and landing softly, right here, in our own hearts. It’s less about what we see, but much more about what we feel. Editor: That’s something I'll try to bring with me whenever I view a new artwork. Curator: Me too! It’s like visiting an old friend, every time.