Matronale Figur in Untersicht, die Leier spielend (eine Sibylle oder die Muse Terpsichore_) 

Curator: We're looking at a work on paper from the Städel Museum collection titled "Matronale Figur in Untersicht, die Leier spielend (eine Sibylle oder die Muse Terpsichore_)" by Victor Müller. It's a pencil drawing of a female figure playing a lyre, viewed from below. Editor: My first impression is one of intense emotion. The upward gaze, the flowing lines suggesting drapery and hair...it all creates a sense of powerful upward movement and, dare I say, even agony. Curator: I find the gaze equally fascinating. I’m particularly interested in how Muller might be trying to engage in questions of representation and performativity of ancient female figures through this rendering. What is he saying about how women were envisioned, both then and perhaps in his contemporary context? Editor: Given the title referencing both a Sibyl and Terpsichore, the Muse of Dance and Song, are we dealing with the conflation of sacred and artistic inspiration here? What did each of these women represent, both distinctly and shared? Curator: Exactly. The piece raises important questions about artistic representation. Müller probably uses his piece as an opportunity to examine prevailing norms and explore alternate meanings in well-established aesthetic themes by juxtaposing such conflicting concepts, much as how the political climate during his lifetime changed. Editor: Yes, and let's not forget the sheer skill evident in this drawing. Müller’s depiction makes you really see her as both mortal and immortal at the same time. The upward viewpoint adds grandeur and elevates her status. The drawing style further amplifies this tension in my view. It emphasizes movement, passion, and strength which seem intentional to subvert historical expectations from women. Curator: A lot to consider, indeed, from his choices about art history to contemporary theories about power! Editor: And it showcases the ongoing effort in artworks to be at the crossroads of multiple intersections of themes and meanings in human cultures!