Nick Bottom mit Eselskopf, gehend, einen Arm nach vorn gestreckt c. 1867 - 1868

Curator: This intriguing pencil drawing from around 1867 or 1868, now housed in the Städel Museum, depicts "Nick Bottom mit Eselskopf, gehend, einen Arm nach vorn gestreckt" – or Nick Bottom with donkey head, walking, one arm outstretched. It's the work of Paul Konewka. What's your first impression? Editor: He looks like he's just accepted his fate, a bit reluctantly, maybe. Like he's thinking, "Well, here I am, a donkey-headed fellow off to… somewhere." There's something sweetly pathetic about the posture, almost comical in its resignation. Curator: Exactly! Konewka was a master of silhouettes, though this is a pencil sketch. It perfectly encapsulates the comedic yet somewhat tragic character of Bottom from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The romantic era saw a real revival of interest in Shakespeare, particularly in Germany. Editor: There's this odd contrast. A very serious, historical mode— Romanticism. But here's Bottom, the lovable buffoon! It almost feels punk. Turning high art and history on its head! Curator: Indeed! Konewka uses this delicate medium to highlight the absurdity and, dare I say, the underlying social commentary. Bottom, a weaver, elevated—or rather, transformed—into a figure of mythological comedy. A commoner playing king, both literally and metaphorically. Editor: It makes you think about how we elevate people. Now, it's influencers and celebrity chefs, then it was… donkey-headed actors? What does that elevation really *mean* for our world and in our society? That line, drawn in pencil so lightly, says more than any monument! Curator: A vital point! This sketch prompts us to consider not just Shakespeare, but the entire infrastructure of representation. What gets memorialized and why? Editor: Makes you wanna bray along with him into the theatrical sunset, doesn't it? It's thought provoking how this drawing can get people so philosophical even though he has an ass head and little tunic! Curator: Well put! The drawing acts like a miniature stage on which we project anxieties and dreams. Editor: And maybe some self-awareness about who we put on that stage. Curator: Indeed.