Stairs 

Curator: Up next, we have a pencil drawing by Karl Ballenberger, entitled "Stairs," housed here at the Städel Museum. Editor: Stark, isn't it? It has this feeling of geometric precision. The bareness of the drawing highlights the lines and angles, the raw materiality of pencil on paper creating a strangely quiet and isolated space. Curator: The stairs could certainly represent the climb towards knowledge or spiritual elevation – a journey, if you will. Stairs are often viewed as transitional spaces, linking different realms of existence, both physical and metaphysical. Think of how stairs can echo our life’s ascensions and descents. Editor: I appreciate that idea, but for me, the absence of figures forces you to examine the composition. Look at how the lines recede into a vanishing point somewhere beyond the small window—a rigorous application of perspective. Ballenberger really hones in on spatial depth. Curator: Precisely. The lone window becomes an eye of sorts, staring back at the viewer. Architectural spaces carry symbolic weight. The placement of the stairs, ascending towards a light source – maybe the viewer is not just passively observing but also embarking on that climb through thought and reflection? Editor: Interesting. Though for me, the cool gray tones, the visible marks of the pencil—these create such a unique viewing experience. Stripping the stairs down to their basic components, line and form, renders them abstract and strangely haunting. The geometry becomes almost obsessive. Curator: And obsession can certainly intertwine with spiritual practice! It might even offer a stark comment on the often lonely, individualistic path to knowledge and wisdom. Thanks for bringing the technique and materiality into the discussion. Editor: Anytime! It's amazing how a simple set of stairs can provoke such reflection on lines and angles, ascending versus descending, what goes up and what inevitably must come down. Curator: The stairs stand, inviting—perhaps goading—us to continue pondering that journey.