Ornament des Peter Quince als Prolog sowie die Beine des Peter Quince c. 1867 - 1868

Editor: This delicate pencil sketch, "Ornament des Peter Quince als Prolog sowie die Beine des Peter Quince," from around 1867-1868 by Paul Konewka, feels like a fragment of a dream. The aged paper and simple lines create a sense of something precious and fleeting. What strikes you about this seemingly unfinished piece? Curator: The allure of this sketch lies precisely in its fragmented nature. The geometric ornament, reminiscent of ancient Greek designs, sits atop the faint outline of legs - suggesting Peter Quince from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night’s Dream". Konewka offers us an immediate symbolic relationship with theatre and, thus, performance and story-telling. How does the juxtaposition of the abstract ornament and the figurative legs play out in your mind? Editor: I find it slightly disjointed; the ornament feels formal and distant, while the legs are so human and vulnerable, like a rough idea of something classical. It also strikes me, with it being on simple aged paper that is torn, as deeply personal to the artist, somehow. Curator: Indeed. It highlights the layering of artistic processes and cultural memory. The ornament anchors the image in a historical visual language. The legs suggest an attempt to ground an almost dreamlike or surreal world with an image we associate with human gesture. Konewka is engaging in a visual dialogue between past and present. The fragility of the paper and the lightness of the pencil add a sense of immediacy. What overall emotion would you suggest this conveys? Editor: Melancholy, perhaps? It’s a wistful glimpse into the artist's mind. Like an image they were unable to fully see. I like your idea about bridging between history, memory and experience! Curator: It seems that even in its incompleteness, we have a reflection on how classical form informs contemporary experience. Editor: I definitely understand it better now! It is no longer just an unattached sketch; it contains a range of different, fascinating conversations.