Sitzende und Stehende aus der _Vorbereitung zum Kostümball_ c. 1879 - 1880

Otto Scholderer rendered _Sitzende und Stehende aus der Vorbereitung zum Kostümball_ with graphite on paper. The figures emerge from a field of tentative lines, their forms suggested rather than definitively stated, imbuing the scene with a fleeting, dreamlike quality. Scholderer uses the medium to explore the boundary between presence and absence. The standing figure is more fully realized, with careful attention to the fall of fabric and the soft modeling of her features. By contrast, the seated figure dissolves into the background, a series of light strokes suggesting the curve of a shoulder or the set of her hair. The artist invites us to consider not just what is depicted, but how the very act of depiction shapes our understanding. This interplay of clarity and ambiguity invites us to complete the image, engaging actively with the process of seeing and interpreting.