Rider 

Editor: This is "Rider," a drawing made with pencil and ink on paper, currently held at the Städel Museum. It shows a man in riding attire, and what strikes me is how proper and upright he appears. How should we interpret such a representation of masculinity, given the art world's past focus on powerful figures? Curator: That's a fantastic observation! When we examine art like "Rider," we have to ask: what image of power is being conveyed, and to whom? Notice he's in riding attire, and his confident bearing is enhanced by his erect posture. Yet, isn’t there a degree of artifice in how "natural" the rider's bearing really is? He is controlling a very controlled position to maintain status and order. Editor: Right! I’m seeing the ways social expectation impacts presentation of self. Curator: Precisely. Prestel probably drew this during a period when such displays were increasingly valued and challenged by an emergent middle class in places like Frankfurt, and in institutions and through patronage practices and distribution methods. His position literally places him on the same level as some of the ruling classes and noble riders from the past, albeit perhaps for different means and by different institutions than previous imagery that focused on showing dominance and superiority by those born to power. Editor: So, this image speaks volumes about the shifting dynamics within social structure. It goes past portraying the figure alone, as we learn so much of his community from context. Curator: Exactly! Analyzing images like this opens conversations about class, status, and who is granted visibility within a given society at a particular time and location, and also within its contemporary institutional and historical placement today. Editor: That definitely gives me a lot to consider about this work and what the act of drawing could be about for the person involved. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Keep questioning those power dynamics!