Junge Mädchen belauschen hinter einer Mauer einen Mann, der einem Kinde zu trinken gibt und mehrere andere Figuren 

Curator: Hermann Gollner's intriguing ink and pencil drawing, "Junge Mädchen belauschen hinter einer Mauer einen Mann, der einem Kinde zu trinken gibt und mehrere andere Figuren"—translating to "Young girls eavesdropping behind a wall on a man giving a child a drink and several other figures"—offers a captivating scene. Editor: My initial thought is how ephemeral it feels, like catching a fleeting glimpse of a moment. The sketchy quality and the use of graphite really emphasize the sense of transience. Curator: Right, and when considering Gollner's drawing process, we see him constructing the image layer by layer with both ink and pencil. There is such a beautiful and subtle layering effect to his methodology. It is possible that he starts with graphite pencil as a sketching tool to broadly define forms, then employs the depth and definition of the ink medium. I think that is quite compelling, because his medium is able to build forms rather than to only define them. Editor: The composition is what gets me, actually. A ruined wall dividing the scene and functioning almost like a proscenium. We have the young girls actively *watching*, placing the viewer in a similarly voyeuristic position, observing both the girls and the main subject on the right. Is it supposed to evoke secrecy or is Gollner hinting at some greater societal issue, say related to the labour class or to gender dynamics? Curator: Those are both astute observations. In examining 19th-century depictions of women in art and society, we see increased awareness about gendered spaces, or the separation of space and duties of women and men in public. Perhaps here, we see the suggestion of their segregation by way of their positioning behind a wall, with their curiosity about whatever lies on the other side taking precedence. Editor: Yes, and how are we supposed to take the wall itself, as more or less crumbling, clearly aged and constructed out of stone. The artist, with the use of those types of materials, would surely be directing the perception to some social issue of that period. Curator: It is an evocative work with compelling, and subtle use of drawing as its means of fabrication and messaging. Editor: Definitely food for thought. This image really gets you thinking about its message.