About the Work
The sketchbook, mainly filled with pencil sketches and drawings, evidently accompanied the 23-year-old Ludwig Metz on his journey through southwest Germany along the Rhine from July to October 1845. The drawings recorded in the book prove Metz’s intensive interest in architecture. He particularly studied cornices as well as stairs and roof trusses, not only in detail but also with regard to their design or construction. Besides the location information, motifs from Karlsruhe, the Freiburg Cathedral, Ortenberg Castle or Eberstein Castle, among others, can be identified, which Metz sometimes reproduced as full-page depictions. Apart from a few sketches and various notes, the second half of the sketchbook remained blank.
For a full sketchbook description, please see “Research”.