Francis Flute als Thisbe mit Schwert, stehend, nach rechts c. 1867 - 1868

Curator: Looking at this artwork, what springs to mind? The 1867-68 charcoal and paper drawing is by Paul Konewka, titled "Francis Flute as Thisbe with Sword, Standing, Facing Right." Editor: There’s something poignant about it, a fragility that contrasts with the theatrical subject. It’s almost spectral, like a fading memory of a performance. Curator: Konewka often worked with silhouettes, a popular medium for theatrical representations. Think about it - theatre and identity are always performing with binaries and constricting gender roles. Thisbe, a female role, is portrayed by Francis Flute, a male actor in Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night's Dream. It's very complex, layered even. Editor: Yes! That blurring of lines is potent. The figure is barely there. Almost resisting clear definition. A sword suggests not just performance, but power…yet is it held tentatively. Who is allowed access to power? Konewka's composition seems to highlight that instability. Curator: The Städel Museum has carefully contextualized the piece. They examine how, within Romanticism, there was growing artistic exploration regarding emotional states and roleplay during dramatic historical changes of political powers throughout Europe. Editor: That artistic lens makes it feel more than just documentation. There is commentary about representation embedded within it. Consider the role of amateur dramatics in creating spaces where social and gender roles can be both reinforced and challenged, in both historical eras and modern times. Curator: I agree. There is almost a radical queering in this piece. Consider that the figure stands on the cusp between performance and reality, between the masculine and feminine ideals imposed upon them both. The artist truly captured that intersection. Editor: Seeing it in this light shifts everything. Thank you. Curator: Of course. Art history isn't about answers, but seeing a reflection in a mirror.