With apple cider 

Curator: Here we have a drawing titled "With Apple Cider" by Johann Heinrich Hasselhorst, part of the Städel Museum collection. It's rendered in pencil on paper. Editor: My first impression is that of a lively, convivial atmosphere, maybe a bit hazy. The sketch-like quality gives it a very intimate feel. Curator: Absolutely. Hasselhorst captures a casual social gathering here, and it's compelling to think about what this work, and others like it, suggest about gathering spaces in society. The artist seems most concerned with observing the activity around the table, specifically who might consume alcohol and in what fashion. Editor: I find the composition fascinating. The artist uses very delicate lines, almost tentative strokes, but the overall structure is quite clear. The figures around the table are placed to create a sense of depth, guiding the viewer’s eye. Note, too, the repetition of round shapes–the heads, mugs and vessels–these motifs add to a sense of rhythmic unity. Curator: Indeed, and the use of pencil allows for a remarkable tonal range, lending depth and substance to what might otherwise appear as merely outlined forms. This was most likely part of the artist's personal sketchbook and served as a type of genre painting. We also have to ask: Where and when was the image made and how accessible was the location to the people who gathered to consume these refreshments? Editor: The open and accessible quality of the pencil medium reflects the ethos of these spaces in society. It offers a rare look into these interactions, while also emphasizing the ephemeral nature of that specific moment in time. Curator: Yes, I'm also considering how the material choice and medium democratize access. Sketchbooks are portable; pencils are economical. So we might suggest that, in contrast to grand oil paintings hung in a salon, the pencil work serves to depict gatherings by everyday citizens who were perhaps unable to gain access to artistic patronage and education? Editor: Exactly. Hasselhorst has crafted a composition with formal mastery, while using only a basic, easily obtained tool for sketching on location. In looking at “With Apple Cider,” I consider line, shape, and tone but ultimately the drawing expresses something about a place or experience. Curator: Indeed. For me, it evokes reflections on the economic contexts of community gathering, while its form still brings the liveliness to life.