Weibliche Figur in Rückansicht und im Profil nach links 

Curator: This drawing, from the Städel Museum collection, presents "Weibliche Figur in Rückansicht und im Profil nach links," featuring studies of a female figure rendered in pencil. It appears to be a preparatory sketch. Editor: There’s a remarkable lightness here. The sketch feels tentative, as if the artist is delicately probing the form, searching for its essence with those faint pencil lines. Curator: Precisely. Look at how Scholderer uses the medium to define shape and posture. Notice how he subtly varies line thickness to articulate volume and delineate form in both the back and profile views. Editor: It’s interesting how the paper itself seems to be part of the material composition. Its slight imperfections and tone interact with the pencil marks, making me consider the kind of paper used and the graphite’s texture. I am curious about the circumstances under which this drawing was made: was it done quickly in a bustling studio, or privately? Curator: I appreciate your engagement with the material reality of the drawing. However, consider also the relationship between the figure’s presentation – that meticulous, academic rendering, which, albeit lightly sketched, echoes conventions of idealized portraiture – and its internal structure. The contrasts between light and shadow aren't just representational but create a dialogue with classical forms. Editor: Absolutely. The suggestion of form speaks to classicism, yet the raw simplicity also draws my attention back to the artist's hand and to the labor and context of creating a drawing at this scale on paper that shows its own wear and use. It also shows the potential for its future state—what purpose will the paper serve afterwards? Will it become another image, or be tossed aside? Curator: Such considerations deepen our appreciation for art history! This glimpse into the artist's process also exposes the layers that create aesthetic resonance. Editor: A great reminder of how considering materiality and form offers different points of entry into understanding this drawing’s layered meanings.