Puck mit Flügeln und leicht nach vorn gebeugtem Oberkörper sowie eine Elfe mit Flügeln und Kleid, zwischen ihnen Blumenranken c. 1867 - 1868

Editor: This is Paul Konewka's "Puck with Wings and Body Slightly Leaning Forward and Elf with Wings and Dress, Between Them Floral Tendrils," a pencil drawing from around 1867-68. It's a delicate sketch, almost ethereal in its lightness. What do you see in this piece that might not be immediately obvious? Curator: What I see, first off, is yearning. Yearning for a simpler, more enchanted time, perhaps. Konewka, in his day, was playing with this Romantic era obsession with the mystical. Look how he’s almost shyly rendering these figures; as if any forceful line would break the spell. I also can’t help but think about theatre; do you get that sense of a stage setting, of poised characters awaiting a cue? Editor: Yes, the composition does feel staged. Almost like they’re performing a scene. I hadn’t considered that the delicacy could be intentional though! Curator: Right? And think about silhouette art, too. Konewka was famous for those, and this sketch, despite the pencil lines, retains that same kind of ethereal shadow-play. What’s so intriguing is the tension he creates – the earthly (the flowers, however fanciful) versus the unearthly, the tension between the clearly visible and the almost…not-there. Don't you agree? Editor: I do. The interplay is fascinating. This definitely made me rethink the intent behind the seemingly fragile linework! Curator: Exactly! Sometimes, it’s the artist's own restraint that unlocks the most powerful messages. Konewka is subtly whispering, beckoning us closer, instead of shouting his vision from the rooftops. What a delicate and ultimately romantic vision. Editor: A whispered invitation into a fairy world...I like that! Thank you for showing me a new way to look at it!