Riding Lesson 1945

Francis Chapin created this work, "Riding Lesson" using etching to evoke both movement and a sense of arrested development. Look closely at how the lines define the shapes of the horses and riders, capturing the dynamism of the lesson. Chapin's etching technique reveals a network of lines that gives the scene energy and depth, as if the image is caught between emerging and dissolving. The formal arrangement and stark contrast are important, because they draw attention to how the artist represents his subject rather than just what he represents. Notice, too, how the lack of detail in the figures challenges traditional representation, and the somewhat unsettling aesthetic is crucial. It encourages an examination of the nature of form, perception and the structure of symbolic meanings.