Bildnis der Ida Esch (_) im Lehnstuhl 20 - 1871

Otto Scholderer made this pencil drawing, Bildnis der Ida Esch im Lehnstuhl, in Germany. In the late 19th century, portraiture offered the artist a chance to explore social class and gender roles. Notice how Ida is depicted in a relaxed pose, seated in an armchair, which signals her status and leisure. The loose, sketchy lines give the portrait an informal feel. It's interesting to consider how the burgeoning middle class in Germany at this time influenced artistic production. As industrialization increased, so too did the opportunities for artists to cater to a new market of patrons eager to display their wealth and status through portraiture. The Städel Museum, as an institution, played a role in shaping artistic tastes and legitimizing certain styles, like the Realism evident in Scholderer’s work. To fully understand this drawing, we might delve into archives to uncover more about Scholderer's relationship with his patrons, as well as examine the art criticism of the time. This reveals how art is always embedded in broader networks of social and institutional relations.