Hoofd van een paard bij een hek, naar rechts 1775 - 1833

Editor: So, here we have Jean Bernard’s "Head of a Horse by a Fence, Facing Right," a drawing created sometime between 1775 and 1833, rendered in pencil and charcoal. It’s…melancholy, I think? What do you see in this piece? Curator: Melancholy, yes, I feel that too. There’s a quiet stillness, a kind of equine pensiveness that Bernard captures beautifully. Look at the subtle shading around the eye, that gentle curve of the neck. But, melancholy aside, I see a real tenderness here. It feels like the artist had a genuine affection for this animal. It is a Realist piece - What do you make of the fact that it is just the horse's head and the fence - not the whole horse, the rider, nor the whole scenery? Editor: I see what you mean. A snapshot of that time? And without the background elements, the horse’s quiet becomes more vivid and isolated, doesn't it? Just the essential lines defining its form and that rough wooden barrier... Curator: Precisely! Bernard's choice to frame the horse like this removes any romantic or heroic connotations we might expect. This is no warhorse or noble steed. And yet, don’t you find it compelling that he focused on the everyday - what you called ‘a snapshot’ and raised the horse, via portraiture, to a kind of individual dignity? Do you notice the skill with which the horse's coat is defined and textured using charcoal and pencil techniques? Editor: I do. It’s not just a horse, but *this* horse. Now that I notice that rendering, I see the artist's sharp perception of animal's unique features shining through this simplicity. Curator: And perhaps that simplicity, that quiet focus, speaks volumes about our relationship with these creatures and how it has changed (or not!) across centuries. Thank you, I enjoyed hearing your perspective, that snapshot-moment you recognized is worth meditating upon, and I might carry it along with me as I consider it again. Editor: Likewise, considering its historical context and the choices Jean Bernard made helps me value it better. Thank you!