Tu hai portato il signore del mundo (You Have Carried Our Lord) 1921

Curator: Before us, we have Richard Seewald’s "Tu hai portato il signore del mundo," or "You Have Carried Our Lord," an ink drawing from 1921. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: Well, there's an undeniable sense of melancholy here. The hunched posture of the donkey, combined with the spare, almost desolate landscape... it evokes a feeling of weariness, of burden. Makes you wonder what that donkey's seen. Curator: The title itself offers a powerful frame. Seewald was working in a post-World War I context, a time of profound social and political upheaval in Europe. Donkeys traditionally symbolize humility and service; so to name it like that gives you plenty to ponder about the weight of history. Editor: Absolutely. And it strikes me how raw the style is. Look at those heavy, scratchy lines—it’s almost expressionistic. He is stripping away any sense of romanticism, isn't he? This isn't some idealized pastoral scene, it’s the blunt reality of existence. Curator: Precisely. Think about the labor involved in producing a work like this – the grinding of pigments to create the ink, the artist's physical engagement with the paper, creating a limited print with these resources and means... each stage echoes themes of toil. It asks us, what and whom do we ask to bear the brunt of civilization's burdens? Editor: I’m intrigued by the bareness, it speaks to the emotional tenor. It feels deeply personal, a kind of lament almost. Like a whispered story. Curator: I agree. The economy of line forces us to fill in the emotional gaps ourselves. He leaves us plenty of space to project, to grapple with these themes. It uses relatively available and portable resources to address this question which opens up a way for dialogue. Editor: A powerful, humble statement, wouldn’t you say? Art created by everyday means opens up this conversation to the mundane realities of ordinary citizens which may spur discussion about responsibility and carrying one another. Curator: Precisely, thank you. A potent testament to how material conditions deeply influence artistic expression and even its interpretation. Editor: Indeed. Makes me want to find a quiet place and, well, think.