Upper gate in Camberg 

Editor: Here we have "Upper gate in Camberg", a watercolor and pencil drawing on paper by Peter Becker, housed right here at the Städel Museum. It’s rather ghostly, almost like a faded memory, isn't it? What's your interpretation of it? Curator: Ghostly is the perfect word! I find myself wandering through time when I look at this. Imagine, standing where Becker stood, sketching this gate...what sounds did he hear? What were the people of Camberg thinking that day? It's a romantic’s gaze at a medieval vestige. Notice how light seems to dissolve the stone, blurring the boundaries between the structure and the landscape. The artist is looking at the weight of history, right? It all fades. Tell me, what jumps out at you the most? Editor: The delicacy of the lines, definitely. It's so different from the heavy, imposing gates you often see depicted. And you’re right. It really captures a feeling more than just documenting architecture. Curator: Exactly! Becker isn't an architect drafting a blueprint, he’s an artist feeling the atmosphere. Maybe the gate reminded him of mortality and permanence, and its complicated interrelation. He has captured a quiet narrative, which asks a lot of the viewer. Does it conjure any particular feelings for you? Editor: It feels very serene. Like time slowing down. And the use of watercolor gives it an ephemeral quality. It will eventually completely fade, as Becker seems to have wanted. Curator: It really does feel ephemeral. What a beautiful way to think about our shared human story. It reminds me that what matters most are feelings of awe, reflection, and maybe the shared recognition that everything fades! Editor: Yes, ephemeral but not insignificant. I feel as though I have slowed down to actually consider history! Curator: A portal that reveals and conceals. We must carry that notion forth. Thank you for helping reveal so much to me today.