Editor: So, this is "Magnolia Bud," a drawing by Christian Rohlfs, created in 1937. It’s a mix of watercolor and pastel on paper, housed right here at the Städel Museum. I’m struck by how the soft, almost muted colors create a sense of quiet anticipation... like it’s about to bloom. What do you make of it? Curator: Ah, Rohlfs! What a fascinating character! "Magnolia Bud"...It whispers to me of fragile beginnings. I imagine Rohlfs, perhaps in his garden, captivated by this very bud. I see in it a reflection of his own resilience – remember, he continued to create despite the increasing disapproval of the Nazi regime. Editor: That’s incredible. It definitely shifts my perspective. I guess, initially, I didn't think about the cultural context; I was drawn in by just the abstract quality. The expressionist style, you know? Curator: Precisely! The abstraction allows us to connect with the emotional core. Look at the lines - quick, almost feverish, yet controlled enough to evoke form. And the colors…that faded green and hesitant yellow speak to the fleeting nature of beauty, a defiance in the face of the dark times. Don’t you think? Editor: Absolutely. The hesitant yellow, in particular. It almost looks like it’s fighting against the darker tones. I see that defiance you are talking about. It is interesting you mention that contrast, since I immediately perceived that interplay. It really captures that precariousness...the anticipation of something blooming, yet tinged with vulnerability. Curator: The beauty of art, right? The same colours can be read so differently. Thank you for guiding me toward seeing it in an unique way! Editor: Of course, and thank you! I see it so differently than when we started! I need to contemplate all this.
Comments
Extensive experiments with painting technique contributed to shaping Rohlfs’s oeuvre. In order to achieve certain pictorial effects, he tried out a wide variety of paint mediums and developed different methods of applying and removing them. The ‘Magnolia Bud’ has an accordingly elaborate painting process to thank for its unique hazy effect. The delicate blossom looks as if it has come there on a gentle breeze. It consists of an indistinct blend of quiet yellows and greens, to which Rohlf added a shine here and there with the aid of a fixative. Only very few wide lines of chalk accentuate the forms.
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