Die Fleischgasse in Frankfurt am Main 

Carl Morgenstern's sketch "Die Fleischgasse in Frankfurt am Main," likely completed mid-19th century, captures a seemingly ordinary street scene. But it also reveals much about the social fabric of the time. The "Fleischgasse," or meat alley, suggests a working-class district, maybe one far removed from the grand institutions of art that Morgenstern would have been familiar with as a student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. The sketch, with its quick, unrefined lines, speaks to the artist's direct engagement with the everyday life of Frankfurt. The tower looming in the background, in contrast, symbolizes the established order, perhaps even the church's authority. Considering the era, a period of burgeoning industrialization and social change, Morgenstern's sketch can be seen as a subtle commentary on the coexistence of tradition and modernity. To fully understand the nuances of this sketch, studying local histories, census records, and even maps of Frankfurt would enrich our understanding.