Studienblatt_ Zwei hängende und eine liegende Figur 

Johann Heinrich Tischbein the Elder made this red chalk drawing, Studienblatt: Zwei hängende und eine liegende Figur, sometime in the 18th century. The loose sketches may depict characters in performance, gesturing dramatically on stage. This was a period in Germany marked by the Enlightenment, as new ideas about reason and individual rights were circulating amongst a growing middle class. Theatre became a popular public forum for exploring these themes. It also served as a form of cultural expression that could challenge or reinforce existing social norms. This drawing may be Tischbein’s way of studying and capturing human emotion. As art historians, we look to surviving playbills, theatre designs, and costume studies from the period to reconstruct the cultural context of works like this one. By understanding the social function of the theatre in 18th century Germany, we can begin to grasp the role that art played in shaping public opinion.