Puck mit erhobenem Zeigefinger, (in die Seite gestütztem Arm) und leicht nach vorn gebeugtem Oberkörper, einen Besen haltend und auf einem Ornament stehend c. 1867 - 1868

Paul Konewka sketched Puck mit erhobenem Zeigefinger, (in die Seite gestütztem Arm) und leicht nach vorn gebeugtem Oberkörper, einen Besen haltend und auf einem Ornament stehend with pencil on paper. Konewka, who lived in Berlin, was working in a time of burgeoning nationalism and romanticism. This drawing resonates with the era’s fascination with folklore. The figure of Puck, derived from English tales, is a mischievous spirit who, in Konewka's rendering, appears caught between an ethereal existence and a more grounded one, as symbolized by his bare feet. The artist's delicate lines bring to life a figure who is neither fully human nor entirely otherworldly, a being suspended in a liminal space. This drawing also evokes questions of identity and representation. It seems to capture a being in the act of self-definition, reminding us of the ever-present challenge of defining ourselves in a world of rigid social and cultural boundaries.