Torhaus von der InnenseiteIllustration für_ Eugen Zeller, Aus sieben Jahrhunderten der Geschichte Beuggens, Wernigerode_ Gottlieb Koezle, [1921], S. 366 1920

Otto Ubbelohde made this illustration of the Torhaus around 1921 for a book. It’s all in ink, and what strikes me is how he manages to make something so solid – this old gatehouse – feel almost like it’s breathing through mark making. Look at how Ubbelohde uses all these tiny lines, like he's knitting the image together, you know? There's a real sense of texture, especially in the way he renders the stone and the foliage. It's not just about depicting what’s there; it's about feeling it. Notice how the light and shadow play across the building, creating depth and volume with just the density and direction of his lines. It reminds me a little of Käthe Kollwitz’s etchings, in the way that the artist uses the starkness of black and white to convey such a rich sense of atmosphere. It's like the building is telling its own story. Art is just one big conversation across time, isn't it?