Ruiter te paard 1920

Reijer Stolk made this ink drawing called ‘Ruiter te paard’ – or ‘Horse Rider’ – in 1920. The drawing is made up of contrasting black marks against a white background. I think Stolk has a playful approach to representation. It’s not about what something looks like, but about how it feels or how it moves. You can almost see the movement, the energy of the horse and rider, the shapes seem to push and pull against each other, creating this real sense of dynamism. Look closely at how Stolk uses these geometric shapes, triangles and rectangles, to suggest the horse's body and the rider's posture. It is amazing to think how just a few lines can evoke so much. Stolk’s work is clearly inspired by the work of other early modern artists, and I imagine they would have bounced ideas off each other. It all contributes to a larger conversation, a shared exploration of form and expression, each artist building on the discoveries of those before them. It's really interesting how his work embraces this ambiguity, inviting us to see and feel in new ways.