17906 („Ich hab' studiert als Lehrer …“) 1932

Editor: We’re looking at John Elsas’s 17906, or “Ich hab' studiert als Lehrer…” from 1932. It's a mixed media piece, using ink, pencil, and charcoal on paper. I find it strangely melancholic – this small, almost childlike figure and that heavy, handwritten text underneath. What do you make of it? Curator: The seeming simplicity of the drawing belies the historical weight it carries. Elsas, working in 1932, is directly engaging with the sociopolitical realities of Weimar Germany. This figure, a former teacher now reduced to a street sweeper, speaks volumes about the devaluation of intellectuals and professionals during the economic crisis and the rise of right-wing extremism. How does the figure's almost clownish appearance complicate this reading? Editor: I suppose it makes it more tragic? Like a sad clown reflecting the absurdity of the situation? Curator: Precisely. The "clownishness," if we can call it that, serves as a kind of mask, shielding the artist from direct political reprisal while simultaneously allowing him to critique the status quo. The title also becomes particularly poignant, when thinking about the cultural and educational shifts happening during that time. Editor: It's unsettling to think about the context in which this was made. This makes me wonder, do you think the choice of simple materials like charcoal and pencil amplify this sense of displacement, perhaps highlighting the lack of resources and opportunity? Curator: Definitely. There's a starkness and immediacy to those materials that lends itself to this kind of social commentary. The work highlights a specific, crucial moment of cultural transformation that resonates across time and geographical locations. Editor: Wow, I never would have looked that deep into it just from the image itself! Thanks for providing a sense of its history. Curator: Of course. Looking at art within its historical and cultural context always makes for deeper appreciation.