Horses and cart 

Editor: Here we have Peter von Hess's "Horses and Cart," a pencil drawing currently housed in the Städel Museum. There's something almost fragmented about it; it's like looking at studies for a larger, unrealized project. What stands out to you in this piece? Curator: I see a record of labour, of processes deeply embedded within a specific social structure. The quick, almost frantic lines made with the readily available pencil become a trace of production, a glimpse into the industrial age. Think about what horses meant during this time: not just beauty, but energy, locomotion, work. How were these horses reared, trained, deployed? The paper, cheap and mass produced, makes these studies accessible; they point to evolving networks of artistic production and distribution. Editor: That’s a fascinating way to think about it. So, you're focusing less on the artist's intention and more on the broader context of production? Curator: Precisely. Von Hess isn't simply sketching horses; he's capturing an element in the socio-economic engine. The pencil itself, its manufacture and accessibility, the very idea of mass production it implies, is inseparable from the image created. Consider, also, that sketches like this might have served as preparatory work for mass-produced prints, widening the distribution of imagery depicting such scenes of labor. What labor was involved to realize prints and the impact this imagery would generate by distributing this through wider audience? Editor: It gives new meaning to the role of "sketch" beyond an aesthetic exercise and makes me think about all the unseen workers who contributed in making art available. Thanks. Curator: Indeed. Reflecting on artistic practice with its tools gives us so much scope to address our interpretation.