Treetop 

Curator: This work, a drawing currently held here at the Städel Museum, is entitled *Treetop* by Peter Becker. Editor: My initial feeling is almost airy; it's light, even though it depicts this grand, old tree. You can practically feel the wind rustling through its highest branches. There's a quiet dignity to it. Curator: Becker’s landscapes reflect a time when art academies increasingly focused on observation-based practice. Artists were expected to engage directly with nature, producing sketches like these as part of their training. The pencil work captures incredible details. Editor: I adore the obsessive attention to each individual twig, and how the bare limbs stretch and reach like nervous fingers. It brings out a kind of empathy, as if I am sensing something of myself. And just pencil on paper; quite amazing how it vibrates with life. Curator: Right, the technique itself is not groundbreaking, it's the context. Remember, in the 19th century, accurate and objectively true depictions of nature gained more value as society became increasingly aware of man's impact on the natural world. Editor: It's so intimate though. One senses Becker deeply loved this specific tree. He didn't just render a generic form. I am not entirely sure about the historical or cultural motivations here, but I can tell you that I feel as if I could nest there. It evokes the freedom of wild abandon! Curator: Interesting contrast, yes. As urban landscapes grew more rapidly in response to industrial developments, romanticizing nature through imagery created a nostalgic tension with modern times. Becker's trees may well serve as reminders for how important it is to study what might disappear or drastically transform around us. Editor: Perhaps Becker simply appreciated the exquisite form and beauty before him, though I won't claim to truly know why this *Treetop* looks the way it does! Curator: Well, looking closer has given me fresh perspectives on both its artistic significance and deeper resonance, which is, I think, something the artist hoped for. Editor: Agreed; and it reminds me again how much looking *is* actually thinking; I am grateful for the prompting.