Landschaft mit Felsen und Wasserfall 

Editor: We're looking at "Landschaft mit Felsen und Wasserfall," or "Landscape with Rocks and Waterfall," a drawing by Franz Kobell. It looks like it was created *en plein air* which is incredible. The range of grays is really striking; it feels both grand and intimate at the same time. What stands out to you most about this work? Curator: It whispers stories, doesn't it? The interplay of light and shadow dances across the paper, suggesting the ephemeral nature of the moment Kobell captured. For me, it’s less about the specific location and more about the feeling it evokes. It’s Romanticism, but without the operatics. It makes me think of how even vast landscapes hold little, private moments, like the figures relaxing at the water's edge, can you see them? Almost obscured at that great scale. They lend a real sense of quiet contemplation. It's as though Kobell is reminding us of the relationship of humanity to nature, but asking "What are they thinking?" instead of offering up grand answers. Editor: I see them now! They're tiny, like afterthoughts. That balance is fascinating! Is it typical for Kobell to include people in his landscapes? Curator: Sometimes, yes, he includes figures, but more often, the landscape is the primary subject. Their presence invites us to reflect on our place within it. But notice how their lack of detail turns them into symbols of mankind, and lends us a key to reading the scale of nature against ourselves, eh? I also love the technique, all pencil and ink, sketched right in front of the scene. How would you feel being that close to that rushing water? Editor: Honestly, that just makes me appreciate the artistry even more. There is something very serene, yet wild, about it. It has made me wonder about plein air and all of its unique and challenging parameters. Curator: Precisely. And that tension – serene yet wild – I think that's the essence of Romanticism. A valuable contrast in the Sturm und Drang. It really brings the moment to life!