Man houdt wild paard vast op druk plein 1866 - 1939

This drawing of a knight on horseback was made by Bernard Willem Wierink, although the date is unknown, with pen and ink. Can you imagine the artist, bending over the paper, using the thin nib of the pen to build up the intricate detail of the figures in the square? There is an amazing sense of depth within the relatively small surface area, all created by the varying thicknesses of line. I wonder if Wierink was thinking about earlier masters of the drawn line like Durer or even going way back to the early Renaissance? The tonal range he coaxes from the monochrome ink reminds me of printmaking. I’m struck by the energy of the image. It feels like a real moment, where we can almost hear the frantic shouts of the crowd as the wild horse hurtles through.