Stehendes Rind in Verkürzung nach links, rechts Rinderkopf im Profil nach links 

Editor: We’re looking at “Stehendes Rind in Verkürzung nach links, rechts Rinderkopf im Profil nach links," a drawing at the Städel Museum by Friedrich Wilhelm Hirt. It's rendered in ink and graphite, depicting two studies of cattle. I’m immediately struck by the artist’s attention to the foreshortening on the standing cow – how well do you think he captures that dimensionality? Curator: It's a curious choice, isn't it? Notice how the lines don't merely describe the contour, but also function structurally, giving volume and weight to the subject. The repeated strokes that describe the texture of the coat is where Hirt most visibly departs from a strictly descriptive function. What effect does that have, in your opinion? Editor: I guess that imbues the drawing with a real sense of texture. Also, looking at the other head, you can almost imagine Hirt testing different ways to depict the same animal. I also notice that there is an interplay between what is sharply delineated and what dissolves into an almost amorphous field of sketchy strokes. Do you see that? Curator: Indeed. That contrasting effect can be considered in light of the artistic discourse of that time; a tension existed between faithful representation and idealized forms. In the absence of color, tone and line become powerful indicators of the artist's individual expression. But what does the juxtaposition of the highly detailed rendering versus the economical sketching suggest? Editor: Maybe the artist is deliberately drawing our attention to the process of drawing itself? That it is as much about looking as it is about imagining? Curator: An interesting point to consider! Through the intrinsic qualities of Hirt's mark-making, the subject achieves a peculiar kind of monumentality. Editor: I agree; examining Hirt's choices regarding line and tone certainly brings out the layers of meaning within this simple-seeming sketch. Curator: Precisely; sometimes it's the way we look that defines what we see, as the drawing becomes not just a depiction, but a proposition of the gaze itself.