Upright Piano c. 1936

Editor: This is “Upright Piano,” a drawing on paper by Lorenz Rothkranz from around 1936. It's a very technical drawing, almost an architectural rendering. What do you see in this piece that goes beyond its functional nature? Curator: The first thing that strikes me is the radiating sunburst design on the upper cabinet. Consider its symbolism. The sun, historically, has represented enlightenment, power, even divinity. Here, on a commonplace object like a piano, it elevates the everyday, imbuing it with a sense of the sublime. Do you think the piano manufacturer intended this sense of the 'divine'? Editor: I hadn’t thought about the sunburst that way. It seems a bit much for just a piano, almost religious. But does that mean pianos had a cultural meaning beyond musicality? Curator: Absolutely. Pianos in the early 20th century were not merely instruments; they were status symbols, central to domestic life. The sunburst design suggests the piano as a source of light and culture within the home. The dimensions meticulously noted, speak to its construction but, equally, this symbol embedded within it reveals much about cultural aspirations, and collective memory of what home *should* feel like. How do the other details impact this impression? Editor: The precise measurements juxtapose strangely with that symbolic sunburst now that you mention it. It’s as if there are two languages speaking to each other. I am beginning to see that it represents aspiration but it's grounded in careful construction. Curator: Exactly. Perhaps the piano brought families together and also helped create meaning beyond pure decoration. Thanks for helping me flesh out my appreciation for the piece.