Galopperende paarden 1906 - 1945

Editor: So, this is "Galopperende paarden" – "Galloping Horses" – a pencil and paper sketch from between 1906 and 1945, here in the Rijksmuseum. It feels unfinished, raw… almost frantic in its energy. What catches your eye about it? Curator: I’m drawn to the material evidence of the artistic process. We see the direct mark of the artist's hand – the rapid strokes of the pencil on paper. What kind of paper was available at that time and location? How readily available? These were materials likely considered disposable, ephemeral. The sketch, seemingly spontaneous, was clearly born of a particular historical moment with access to industrially produced paper and graphite pencils. This isn’t some precious, labored-over canvas; it’s an index of creative labor, of artistic thought in action. Editor: That's fascinating! I hadn't really considered the significance of mass-produced paper to artistic creation. The sketch-like quality made me think more of pure inspiration. Curator: And what of the “galloping horse” subject itself? Why render that motif, repeatedly? The horse, traditionally linked to nobility and power, is presented here as an object of study. An item subjected to repetitive labor in a series of studies in motion and perhaps in a moment when industrialized war machines and increasingly accessible private cars threaten to overshadow it. Editor: So, you're seeing the means of production and the shifting cultural context as fundamental to how we understand the piece. I get it! Curator: Exactly. This drawing, on seemingly humble materials, gives us access to understanding artistic creation under rapidly changing socio-economic and material conditions. Now, can it still move us aesthetically while offering a view to its historical and material circumstances? Editor: Definitely! Looking at it from this materialist perspective makes it so much richer. It moves past a simple study and becomes a commentary on its own making and place in society. Thank you!