April. Entwurf zur Decke im Café Bauer, bestehend aus sechs Teilen c. 1884

Curator: My eye is immediately drawn to the fantastical element here, and to the softness in the watercolors, as if viewing a memory. Editor: It's an intriguing piece. What we're looking at is Hans Thoma's "April. Entwurf zur Decke im Café Bauer, bestehend aus sechs Teilen", dating back to circa 1884. The work employs pen, chalk, and watercolors, and can be found right here in the Städel Museum. It's actually a study, or preliminary design, for a ceiling in a cafe. Curator: Ah, a preliminary design, that explains its diagrammatic appearance. What symbolism was at play in the design briefs of cafes then? Editor: Let's delve deeper. The symbolic language here relies heavily on figuration tied to the month itself: note the cherubic figure with wings, for instance. Its presence evokes innocence, rebirth... but perhaps even fragility. The flowering branches represent growth and renewal. Curator: Yes, and what I see in this seemingly idyllic scene is a potential for a more complex understanding of gender roles and class structures. A feminine figure appears entwined within decorative ornamentation suggesting her role, and perhaps her social entrapment. How was the Cafe Bauer perceived, and what role would artwork like this play in constructing such spaces? Editor: Those are pertinent questions. The imagery creates a very clear visual script—a subtle suggestion that even leisure is governed by social conventions and expectations. But then notice the presence of avian imagery, which would conjure long traditions in art history of birds as symbols of freedom and lightness. Curator: Birds can symbolize so many things, particularly transcendence, the soul, or the transition between worlds, though their cage here feels rather stifling. The butterflies have symbolic importance also—as messengers of change and evolution? Editor: Precisely. And it brings me to consider the interplay of color, which evokes particular emotional responses. Light blues, and faded purples, offset by delicate florals, contribute to an atmosphere that's almost ethereal. One of longing. Curator: It invites us to question whether it idealizes, critiques, or maybe both at once. By understanding the socio-political backdrop against which it was created, we see an artwork functioning less as a representation of something as a negotiation, in itself, within the conditions that constituted reality then. Editor: It's quite interesting how Thoma blends personal expression and universally resonant symbols to communicate about time and nature. Considering how symbolic art operates helps us tap into historical consciousness that is alive.