Detail des Bordesholmer Altars von Hans Brüggemann im Schleswiger Dom 

Editor: This drawing is by Karl Ballenberger, and it’s a detailed study of the Bordesholm Altar by Hans Brüggemann. The drawing gives you a really nice, preliminary look. I’m immediately struck by how ornate the altarpiece is—all those intricate carvings! How would you interpret this work? Curator: Well, consider this drawing within the context of 19th-century art education. It's not just about the beauty of the Brüggemann altar, but Ballenberger's role in perpetuating its significance. Artists studied the old masters and historical objects like this as a crucial part of their training. We need to examine who had access to these forms of visual knowledge, and what social hierarchies this artistic lineage served. Editor: So, it's more about what it represents culturally, than its aesthetics? Curator: Exactly! What was the role of drawings like this? Were they strictly academic, or did they serve a broader cultural function in reinforcing particular ideas about heritage and artistic authority? Think about how the museum itself, as an institution, validates and frames artworks like Brüggemann’s altarpiece. Editor: That's interesting! I guess I hadn't considered how studying and copying older works might reinforce specific social and power structures. It’s making me consider what gets preserved and celebrated. Curator: Precisely! And how those choices influence artistic practice. It's also interesting that Ballenberger chose this particular altarpiece. Why the Bordesholm Altar specifically? How did its themes of faith and sacrifice resonate during a period of rapid social and political change in Europe? Editor: It really changes the way I look at it. It’s not just a historical drawing, it's evidence of how art is continually framed and presented, with all kinds of choices along the way. Curator: Indeed. It also shows how deeply intertwined artistic creation is with its historical, cultural and institutional contexts. We're not just seeing an altarpiece here, but a network of power and meaning.