Bas-reliëf van een ruiter 1640

Curator: Here we have "Bas-reliëf van een ruiter," or "Bas-relief of a rider," a print made around 1640 by Reinier van Persijn. It’s held here at the Rijksmuseum. What's grabbing you about it, right off the bat? Editor: Immediately, there's this interesting sense of weightlessness. Even though it depicts a rather muscular figure on horseback, the engraving itself has an airy, almost ethereal quality. Is it the fine lines? Curator: Partly, it’s the medium itself. As an iconographer I see the horse represented across different eras and cultures and there’s a universality to this image—the horse represents strength, nobility, even freedom. It's no coincidence riders hold positions of power. Editor: The horse is more muscular than real horses tend to be. But it does create this striking, heroic image! There’s that dynamic billowing fabric behind him; it all adds to this impression of forward momentum, though he’s captured statically in that moment. Curator: Note how carefully the artist has rendered the details of classical statuary in the man and the horse? It’s as if Persijn sought to capture not just the appearance, but the essence of Roman virtue and power. We also can consider this period as being an early precursor of a new appreciation for archeology, especially the Roman empire. Editor: Right, there's that timeless appeal! The rider is almost god-like but it doesn’t have the heaviness associated with that role; perhaps more mortal than Zeus and Jupiter and those classical figures. A leader and guide to his followers, rather than one set far apart on a misty mountaintop. Curator: An earthy guide… exactly! Editor: It’s striking to me that an engraving, usually on a small scale, is used to recreate something larger than life, so charged with symbolic meaning and strength! Almost as if it’s being made even more precious as a representation. Curator: Well said. What began as stone transforms through the magic of lines into a whole universe on a sheet of paper. It feels fitting somehow. Editor: Yes, you have me seeing it as a symbol of more than it looks at first glance. Thank you!