Reverse Copy of Chevaux Courant en Liberté (Horses Running Freely), from "Les Caprices" 1620 - 1700

Curator: At the Metropolitan Museum, we’re looking at "Reverse Copy of Chevaux Courant en Liberté (Horses Running Freely), from “Les Caprices”," an etching dating back to between 1620 and 1700, made by an anonymous artist. Editor: Wow, it's… chaotic! A whole herd of fantastical, spindly-legged horses stampeding across the paper. There’s a sense of untamed energy. Curator: Indeed. What stands out is the linework, spare yet conveying such spirited movement. Notice the almost calligraphic quality, giving each horse a unique character. Editor: There's something almost cartoonish about them, even though they're from so long ago. Like a proto-animation cel. Look at the details – those flowing manes and tails that feel impossibly exaggerated. I wonder if there is a feeling of freedom imbued into this collection. Curator: Considering the historical context, animals, especially horses, often symbolized status, power, but, as you mention, freedom as well. This work also references, with the "caprices" moniker, imagination unleashed and not held down by traditional approaches. It’s a print of a copy. We should bear in mind that the reproduction technologies available might affect some features that are immediately evident in this drawing. Editor: The horses do almost float in the blank space of the paper, but it works, like capturing a fleeting dream. The minimalist backdrop encourages pure, unfiltered action. But what of the single downed horse in the lower corner. Did his "caprice" amount to running until he fell over? Curator: Well observed! That single detail transforms the reading of the whole image. It infuses it with a hint of darker realism – a reminder that freedom can come at a price, I'd argue. Editor: Makes me wonder, who was this artist? What caprices, exactly, were they dealing with at the time? It does seem, given the range of possibilities, that we will never be certain of our guess. Curator: What a treat it’s been to reflect on the caprice this image offers! Editor: Definitely stirred up more than just equine fantasies for me! A lot to think about.