Tannhäuser (_) 

Curator: The work before us, "Tannhäuser," a drawing currently held at the Städel Museum, evokes a world of Romantic yearning. Made with chalk on paper, the piece immediately suggests a realm between the earthly and the spiritual. Editor: Yeah, that’s the first thing I notice too—this dreamlike quality. Like a half-remembered myth bubbling up from the collective unconscious. Sort of melancholic but with hints of eroticism—is that fair? Curator: Absolutely. The tale of Tannhäuser is fundamentally about the tension between sacred love and profane desire. We can see it in how Henneberg juxtaposes the earthly knights on horseback with the ethereal figures lurking within the shadowy woods. The narrative hints at a journey into the Venusberg, the mythical abode of Venus. Editor: I’m getting lost already! Mythical abode aside, those chalk strokes give a tangible texture to this enchanted forest, really dragging the eye deeper into the unknown. Does the Venus figure play a role in this pursuit? Curator: It’s likely so. The Venus figure, the epitome of pagan love, pulls at Tannhäuser, embodying a sensual temptation that contrasts with the Christian morality of his knightly brethren. Notice the gestures, the pull, almost a pleading, against a background suggestive of danger. Editor: It’s like two competing realms battling for his soul… I love how even just with tonal shifts, we can intuit that psychological landscape. Makes me wonder: what myths grip us in the 21st century? Curator: An excellent point. Despite being based on medieval German legend, themes in Tannhäuser regarding personal freedom and internal moral conflict resonate deeply. This push-and-pull remains intensely relevant. Editor: Thinking about it all, maybe what still draws us is the primal fear of our impulses set loose against accepted society, that journey and choice represented here in monochromatic chalk on paper. Quite haunting! Curator: Indeed. It stands as an ever-resonant examination into humanity's most intimate and enduring battles, all evoked here, echoing across the centuries.