Don Carlos 

Curator: My first impression? Haunted. This isn't just a drawing; it's a series of ghostly echoes. Editor: Indeed. What we’re looking at here is a drawing by Alfred Rethel titled "Don Carlos," housed right here at the Städel Museum. It's an ink drawing on paper. It almost feels like a storyboard, doesn't it? Curator: Absolutely. Each vignette around the central figure seems to seep into him, informing his pose, that intense writing...it's as if he's possessed by the play's very drama. Romanticism at its most visceral, I suppose. Editor: From a formal perspective, observe the composition. The central figure, presumably Don Carlos, occupies the heart of the piece. The framing scenes serve as narrative annotations, each a key moment in the story, meticulously rendered in ink. The light source, seemingly emanating from the candle on his desk, highlights his face. Note the dramatic chiaroscuro effects around him, that creates a kind of psychic drama. Curator: That candlelight's a lovely touch. Flickering doubt, burning passion…you name it. It mirrors his inner turmoil perfectly, don’t you think? Makes me want to reread the whole Schiller drama right now and just sink into those pages again! Editor: Precisely. And the arrangement isn’t haphazard. Each scene relates thematically and structurally. Look how the images that depict violence are mostly placed on the top portion, and the plot-driven themes in the lower portion. A structured exploration of morality and political intrigue if you ask me. Curator: What fascinates me most, though, is the blurring of reality. Rethel is taking a historic story—real or not—and giving it this unreal, ethereal quality. It almost becomes a fever dream. It makes me think how are our own realities shaped and reshaped through narratives! Editor: A fitting sentiment to underscore. "Don Carlos," through Rethel's hand, evolves into far more than mere history illustration. It’s a structured commentary about personal anguish. Curator: In the end, I find that Rethel’s composition makes you want to know all these dramatic people around him more intimately. Each drawing gives a strong sentiment of Romantic Era ideals and beliefs, even when dealing with the darkest times in someone’s existence. Editor: A concise perspective to consider! And also quite comprehensive. I’m keen for our visitors to be so perceptive!