Pflanzenstudie mit Rohrkolben 

Curator: Here we have Peter Becker’s "Pflanzenstudie mit Rohrkolben," which translates to "Plant Study with Cattails." It’s currently held at the Städel Museum. Editor: My first impression is of stillness, a very hushed, almost dreamlike rendition of nature. The washes of watercolor create a hazy atmosphere. Curator: Indeed. The medium here is significant, given Becker’s engagement with plein-air painting, working outdoors directly in nature. Watercolour would have allowed portability and speed in capturing fleeting atmospheric effects. Editor: Precisely, and look at the way he’s handled the reed mace – the cattails themselves. The delicacy with which the leaves and the brown, cigar-shaped seed heads are rendered. It’s almost as if he’s capturing their texture, their very fibre, with the brush. I am really drawn into Becker's understanding of his materials. Curator: It invites contemplation, doesn't it? Consider the social context too: landscape art often reflected broader ideas about nature, national identity, and the sublime. This work suggests a quiet intimacy with the natural world. Editor: I see it. There's something about Becker's careful attention to materials that resists the grandiosity often associated with landscape. The making, the labor involved, it suggests a more grounded relationship to the land. This focus shifts us from romantic ideals to lived reality. Curator: That’s insightful. The role of artistic institutions is to invite conversation surrounding the art itself. Does this drawing lead us towards an appreciation of the handmade process in nature, as much as in art? It feels almost radical to see these simple plants represented without some overtly nationalistic association. Editor: Perhaps Becker is prompting us to rethink what we value both in art, and in the landscape around us. Focusing on the specific, not on some imagined, symbolic value. Curator: A final thought: I appreciate the interplay between the tangible elements of paint on paper and Becker’s attempt to depict something as inherently changeable as nature. Editor: I agree. It brings together, quite literally, the raw materials, the skills and Becker's intention. I think there is more here than just seeing.