Vrouw te paard c. 1656

Curator: "Vrouw te Paard," or "Woman on Horseback," is a pencil sketch made circa 1656 by Gerard ter Borch, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. It strikes me as more of a fleeting impression, a notation of form rather than a polished piece. What are your immediate thoughts? Editor: It evokes a sense of lightness and ethereality. The light pencil work gives the impression of a dream, almost—a rider appearing and disappearing in a haze. But tell me, what do you see in the materiality of the piece itself? The very stuff it's made of? Curator: Well, its status as a pencil sketch offers some intriguing points about art production at the time. It probably served as an idea generation sketch, for ter Borch, perhaps preliminary studies for a more significant painting. This gives us insights into workshop practice and resource use of the 17th Century, beyond a single "finished" canvas. What do you see beyond just the material quality, however? What can we read from the iconography itself? Editor: The image of the woman on horseback has always resonated deeply throughout history. Think of depictions of power, victory, and even freedom. The upward movement of the horse speaks of aspiration, nobility. Given the period, might this resonate with concepts of female autonomy, however nascent? Or are there older symbolisms at work? Curator: It could certainly be argued, although with caution. A sketch like this could also be pure whimsy or personal fantasy rather than overt symbolism. Considering this might come from his personal sketchbook, its function becomes a lot more ambiguous. Did he use it for playful image invention or as a study? Editor: Indeed. But the power of such an image—a lone female rider—shouldn’t be easily dismissed, even in what seems a simple sketch. I still think it subtly challenges the traditional symbolic order through gender representation. Curator: An interesting perspective. Looking at it as a step in material art making, in practice in 17th Century Northern Europe versus how the finished images came about, shows two levels of image making. What do you think about the future effect and life of an image, viewed in different forms across long stretches of time? Editor: The symbolic power certainly lingers. While what ter Borch may have envisioned exactly at that moment remains unknown, these images gain momentum and acquire a unique agency of its own once they leave the artist's hands and enter the world.