Pieter van Loon made this watercolor of two knights around the mid-19th century. Watercolor is a particularly interesting medium because it is so fundamentally dependent on the artist's skill. Unlike oil paint, it is very difficult to correct mistakes. Each brushstroke is a commitment. In this work, it gives a fluid, almost dreamlike quality, softened by the moisture it contains. Consider also the subject depicted: Knights in armor. By the time Van Loon created this piece, the age of knights was long gone. What's left is a romantic idea of heroism, an appeal to a supposedly simpler, more courageous past. It's interesting to think about why Van Loon, and indeed society more broadly, was so drawn to this imagery. Was it a kind of escapism? A nostalgic yearning for a time that never really existed? This is a question we can ask of many works in the decorative arts.