Titania and Oberon c. 1867 - 1868

Curator: Looking at this pencil drawing by Paul Konewka, created around 1867 or 1868, what immediately strikes you? Editor: There's an ethereality to it, a lightness. Like a dream half-remembered. They are weightless, floating, and seem on a urgent, if soundless, flight. Is this sketch related to something else? Curator: Yes, it is. The drawing is entitled "Titania and Oberon", currently residing at the Städel Museum. It seems very much to capture the spirit of romanticism in its theme and style. But tell me, how do these characters read to you in terms of symbolic meaning? Editor: Well, they’re figures of folklore, archetypes, royalty of a realm unseen. Oberon carrying a spear suggests protection, dominance; Titania, with her flowing hair and clinging drapery, seems both vulnerable and powerful in her grace, or as you mention, romanticism. It’s a potent contrast. The pencil medium itself speaks of sketches from the Romantic period. There's an underlying story of discord here; those fairytales never end up so happy as people wish them to. Curator: Precisely! Given that Konewka favored silhouettes in many of his other illustrations, this drawing showcases an intriguing alternative: it still captures form, but feels far more emotionally vulnerable, as it captures so much emotional nuance that often the fairy tales were lacking. It feels like eavesdropping on a secret moment. What do you suppose such tales whisper to modern audiences? Editor: We crave the fantastical, stories to explain the world to us; they reveal truths of humanity—love, jealousy, power. Oberon and Titania, whatever conflict they endure, mirror our own complex relationships, no? It's not just an escape; it's seeing ourselves reflected in magic mirrors. Curator: And seeing the power of imagination reflected in something as simple as a pencil drawing. Editor: Precisely, a single work can trigger the timeless symbols of fairy tales, it echoes what has survived.