_Tea with Dolly_ _ Tee mit Püppi c. 1872

Editor: We are looking at "Tea with Dolly" by Otto Scholderer, likely created around 1872. It’s a pencil drawing on paper currently housed in the Städel Museum. What strikes me immediately is the intimacy of the scene—almost like we're peeking into a private moment. What do you see when you look at this drawing? Curator: Ah, yes, that stolen glance feeling! For me, this isn’t just a genre scene; it’s a tender glimpse into childhood. Notice the dedication Scholderer puts in creating light with subtle shadows and hatching. There is a certain honesty, a quietude. Do you see the careful details in the little girl’s hair versus the looser strokes in the background? Editor: Absolutely, there is a contrast! Almost as if the world outside doesn't matter so much as what is directly within the child's sphere. Is there something specifically “romantic” about portraying a child in this way? Curator: I think it is interesting to look at it through the prism of romanticism as a depiction of childlike innocence. The act of "playing house," this tiny, self-contained universe reflects romanticism’s fascination with simple pleasures but updated to accommodate emerging impressionistic styles of leaving the mark of the artist in the final picture. One can feel that even as the child reenacts her parents' rituals, she infuses it with her own imagination and joy. How charming is that? Editor: It really is a glimpse into how art portrays everyday life. I hadn't really picked up on how the romantic impulse and the loose style work together. Curator: Precisely. Scholderer invites us to reflect on the beauty of childhood, the beauty of fleeting moments. That, perhaps, is a great magic in life itself.