NEUE WACHE

Neue Wache, in Berlin, leaves a lasting impression. It’s current use is as a memorial to all victims of war. In the center is a Käthe Kollwitz sculpture titled Mother with her Dead Son.

Despite the Schinkel designed exterior, the interior is devoid of any ornamentation. Over the years, the building has been repurposed based on who owned that part of Berlin. Originally built as a guard house, after WW1, it was dedicated as a memorial. After WW2 it was rededicated by the Soviets as a memorial to victims of fascism. After reunification, it was re re dedicated in it’s current guise.

Part of the power of the building is the unexpected austerity of the interior.  Walking up to it, you think you are entering a very nice neoclassical piece.  But then, with only four walls, the oculus, and the black sculpture in the middle, it hits hard.

In my drawing, I focused my tones on the interior space, while leaving the exterior toneless, or Lines Without Tones, all as a way to try to express this dichotomy.  And the building sits in a bosque of trees, which I also worked to knowledge.