Portrait of Koch 

Carl Hoff’s pencil drawing, Portrait of Koch, at the Städel Museum presents a study in understated elegance. The composition is dominated by the subject’s profile, set against the stark background of the paper. Hoff uses the simple lines to define the form and texture, from the soft shading that models the face to the sharper lines of the hat. The portrait achieves a delicate balance between representation and abstraction. The upward gaze suggests the sitter is looking hopefully toward the future, or perhaps at the painter himself. The strict form, and the lack of detail, invites contemplation on the nature of portraiture itself: Can a likeness ever truly capture the essence of the individual? Hoff’s drawing reminds us that any representation is necessarily incomplete, shaped by the artist’s hand and eye. It’s an invitation to see the portrait not as a mere record, but as an active site of meaning-making.