Portrait from childhood together with Ferdinand Max and Karl Ludwig (bare-footed) 1835

Editor: Here we have Josef Kriehuber's "Portrait from childhood together with Ferdinand Max and Karl Ludwig (bare-footed)," dating back to 1835. It's a pencil drawing and print. I'm struck by how the subjects seem simultaneously posed and candid. There's a formality to the setting, but something about their eyes feels so naturally youthful. What's your take? Curator: Ah, Kriehuber! He always had such a keen eye for capturing the spirit within the structure. To me, this is more than just a record of appearance. Look at the bare feet – a touch of whimsy amidst the pomp. Wouldn’t you say it hints at their true, unvarnished selves peeking through? The toys on the left, are they props of power or signs of a yearning to break free? Editor: I didn't even notice the toys! Good point. So you're saying that it's intentionally playing with this tension between duty and childhood? Curator: Precisely! Kriehuber was masterful at implying inner lives. We can imagine them wrestling with expectation versus innocence; see the curtain? Are they performers behind a veil or being unveiled, with their truest feelings just now coming to life, not knowing that a grand play is underway? He even shows that life's floor may be ornate but may also contain a lost shoe from the dressing room floor! Editor: That’s a lovely interpretation! I hadn't considered how theatrical it felt, despite the seeming stillness. The toys as instruments of destiny, almost... fascinating. Curator: And isn’t that what art does best? Reveals to us that what seems is only what is not. Or something to that effect. Always a joy to unpack a Kriehuber! Editor: Absolutely, I'll definitely be spending more time looking at portraits now. I realize now it really brings out the cultural history of the time and this technique brought that into light.