Horse with Rider 1935 - 1942

Curator: This piece, titled "Horse with Rider," is thought to have been crafted sometime between 1935 and 1942. It appears to blend sculpture and drawing to striking effect. Editor: It evokes a feeling of stillness, almost a paused animation. The colours are subdued, and the forms are simplified to basic shapes, creating a very deliberate image. The horse has this sense of power. It is just beautiful. Curator: Indeed. Note how Sandler balances the medium. There's the raw materiality of the wood itself—its grain, texture—intersecting with the almost graphic quality of the drawn and painted details. Editor: It's fascinating how she positions this genre painting with themes of figuration in a landscape! It begs questions of its origin, its initial intent... Curator: Considering the era, one wonders about the influence of folk art traditions on her aesthetic choices. Editor: Could it be an echo of social anxieties perhaps? The disciplined figure on a somewhat unyielding horse. I'd expect there's more going on here! Curator: Perhaps. What stands out to me, though, is the almost abstract composition that she created within very well defined lines and colour palette. Editor: Do you think Sandler sought to present an archetypal horse-rider image, a universally identifiable scene despite any period specific details? Curator: I believe there's a universality she may have captured. Though on balance, I see her approach as inherently more formalistic in that sense. Editor: And what a splendid position she created here to view the overall structure! What about considering Sandler's position? Did this image create itself through any lens of commentary or protest? Curator: The enduring mystery, wouldn't you agree? Thank you for that enlightening consideration! Editor: Indeed! Thanks to you too. This work sparks endless curiosity about the artist and our interactions with art.