Stramm sei der Nacken, daß man trage _ Das Vollgewicht in kühner Waage 1871

This drawing at the Städel Museum by Wilhelm Busch presents a man precariously perched on a chair, teetering atop what appears to be a bucket. The image immediately evokes a sense of instability and risk. The motif of precarious balance is ancient. One can recall the Greek goddess Tyche, often depicted standing on a sphere, embodying the fickleness of fortune. Here, the man's stance is comically absurd, yet it echoes the universal human experience of striving for equilibrium in an unpredictable world. Consider also the image of Atlas, bearing the weight of the world. Busch inverts this heroic burden into a farcical act, reflecting perhaps a modern skepticism towards grand narratives. This scene resonates on a deeper level, tapping into our collective anxieties about control, stability, and the ever-present potential for disruption. The humor is but a thin veil over a profound sense of unease, a quality that makes Busch's work so compelling.