Palace of Justice in Laon 21 - 1916

Editor: So, here we have Jakob Nussbaum’s "Palace of Justice in Laon," drawn in 1916, using graphite on paper. The hurried lines create a really compelling, almost anxious feeling. What strikes you most about this drawing? Curator: Well, given the date, 1916, what I see is a representation of power rendered fragile and anxious in a time of war. Notice how the Palace dominates the composition, yet is created through tentative, almost skeletal lines. This is not a celebration of institutional strength. Editor: That’s a really interesting point, looking at the political context! I was just thinking about the artistic choices. How does the sketch style contribute to that feeling? Curator: Precisely! Think about the purpose of official art – typically, to project stability. Nussbaum undermines this completely. The rapid, almost frantic, application of graphite denies monumentality. Are we meant to trust the institutions represented here? It begs the question of whose interests these institutions serve during times of conflict. Editor: So, it’s like he’s using realism but undermining it at the same time? What would the public at that time make of it? Curator: The style treads a line between realism and a modern questioning of it, a pictorial parallel to social uncertainties. One could argue that its accessibility allows for broader interpretations about justice, institutions and their potential failings or adaptability during a turbulent period. How is it ‘just’, if the institutions were shaky? Editor: I hadn't considered the fragility of the lines as a political statement. It adds so much depth to what I initially saw. Curator: Exactly, and that’s why considering the historical context – the public role of art – opens up entirely new readings. A landscape transforms into a quiet form of dissent.