Final vignette c. 1884

Curator: Wilhelm Steinhausen’s “Final Vignette,” from around 1884, is presented in ink and drawing and now resides in the Städel Museum. It’s… intriguing. Editor: My first impression? Serenity interrupted. Those ducks, framed so precisely, evoke a strange stillness amidst that floral riot. It’s delicate and kind of eerie all at once. Curator: Eerie? I find it rather charming, almost like a study for wallpaper, something whimsical and hand-drawn. Those botanicals do feel lively. There is a dynamic asymmetry with that curious lozenge shape in the centre of the image that gives the artwork its structure. Editor: That “charm” is definitely there, but I see so much more embedded within that floral "wallpaper". The two ducks are icons, of partnership perhaps? Loyalty? And caged within this sharp geometry, makes me think of tradition, even constraint, within natural harmony. Curator: Tradition perhaps, especially considering its timeframe. Late 19th century, right as aesthetic movements like Art Nouveau are beginning to bubble up in the art world; but at the same time it remains a study, where lines are free. Notice his strokes. Editor: Precisely. But those lines, especially around the flowers, suggest almost ritualistic depiction, as if each bloom is freighted with significance. In this tension between the life cycles of the flowers, and this man-made shape the symbolism becomes almost oppressive. Curator: Oppressive… that's strong. What I do appreciate, stepping back from any inherent weight of those lines and shapes, is its visual flow. The composition circles you inward. Almost as though Steinhausen invites us into his personal garden; those ducks being the centerpiece and all. Editor: Well, maybe that tension is Steinhausen whispering secrets to us, things only revealed in symbolic languages. We tend to think of Victorian imagery as sweet, surface level but actually they created visual structures of their inner thoughts that linger beyond beauty, beyond wallpaper and well into culture. Curator: In the end it seems these ducks find sanctuary within our imagination, then; each detail inviting a moment of reflection. Editor: Beautifully put! For me, these sketches create paths across different interpretations, prompting one to consider what has faded away—from memory and the artist.