Laubwald 

Editor: Welcome! Here we have “Laubwald,” or “Deciduous Forest,” a pencil drawing by Peter Becker, now at the Städel Museum. I find it so delicate; like a memory half-formed. What strikes you when you look at this? Curator: It whispers secrets, doesn't it? I see more than just trees. The gentle hatching gives life, like a breath on a cold pane. Tell me, do you get a sense of movement? Editor: I do, especially in the way the leaves are rendered – a soft rustle, maybe? How does that movement tie into its broader meaning, do you think? Curator: Well, movement often implies time, right? It could be the artist's own journey through the woods or a metaphor for life's fleeting moments. Do you notice how Becker focuses on light and shadow, and how that might relate to seeing and feeling? Editor: I do. It's almost like the light is shaping the scene, drawing attention to specific areas while obscuring others. That makes it feel less like a literal representation and more about the experience. It makes me think about the ephemeral nature of forests. Curator: Precisely. The experience, the feeling—it transcends the simple landscape. Becker uses that to evoke a mood of quiet introspection. Editor: So, beyond just depicting a forest, Becker’s really inviting us to consider the emotions and the sensations of being there. Curator: Yes! It becomes a self-portrait of the soul in nature. It makes you wonder about our place in all of this, doesn’t it? Thanks for pointing all of that out to me.