Sitzende Frau mit langem Haar (Loreley) 

Otto Scholderer made this pencil drawing, entitled "Seated Woman with Long Hair (Loreley)," here at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt. The figure of Loreley is drawn from German folklore – a siren whose beauty distracts sailors, leading them to shipwreck. This drawing seems to respond to the institutional history of the art world. Throughout the nineteenth century, art academies emphasized the classical tradition as the standard for aesthetic beauty. But the ascendance of folklore and mythology – especially in Germany – was a crucial component of rising nationalism. It would be worth asking whether Scholderer sees Loreley as an ideal of German beauty. The image seems to depict a woman in despair, overwhelmed by the demands of her culture. What are the politics of this imagery? The historian’s job is to unpack these contexts and associations. Research into the artistic and political climate of Scholderer’s time might reveal how this drawing challenges the social norms of its day.