Die gestörte, aber glücklich wieder errungene Nachtruhe (Der Floh); 6 1862

Curator: Welcome. Before us we have Wilhelm Busch's 1862 pencil drawing "Die gestörte, aber glücklich wieder errungene Nachtruhe (Der Floh); 6", housed right here at the Städel Museum. Editor: Fleeting and vaguely comic… a candid snapshot of an interrupted domestic moment. I get a real sense of immediacy from it. Curator: Absolutely. The loose sketchwork captures that disruption vividly. Note how Busch employs a minimal color palette - primarily pencil with touches of reddish-brown and pale blue. This creates a subdued yet intimate atmosphere. What intrigues me is how the composition focuses our attention entirely on the figure’s gesture and expression. The angle and how they look into the sack is pretty humorous. Editor: Formally, the composition leans heavily on line. The rapid, almost frantic strokes to illustrate his searching— it evokes a kind of anxious energy and emphasizes the transient nature of the scene. A very simple work but somehow that translates into depth. Curator: It is interesting to consider the broader themes here too. Busch was deeply engaged with social commentary in his work. Is this Flea, this irritant, a metaphor? The interruption of peaceful slumber, the constant annoyance? Or is it, more simply, a comical genre scene played out with a palpable realism? It all gives the picture such vibrancy. Editor: And what does the domestic context suggest? We get only a hint of draped curtains, a bed. Busch strips back excess; all that is relevant is his search, creating a strange kind of emotional tension in its limited scope. It draws us into the human experience with striking force. Curator: Ultimately, I see in this seemingly simple drawing, the Flea in fact, an expression of vulnerability. Busch leaves us pondering our own "Fleas", those interruptions, literal or metaphorical, that challenge our peace, while revealing a hidden story about our fragility. Editor: A brief observation indeed. Wilhelm Busch invites us to acknowledge our small battles, infusing, perhaps, the act of observing with our empathy for others through each fleeting detail.