Ruiter op galopperend paard 1676 - 1742

Curator: Let’s take a moment to appreciate “Ruiter op galopperend paard,” or “Rider on a Galloping Horse.” It's an engraving, attributed to Georg Philipp Rugendas, dating from between 1676 and 1742, and it resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Wow, what a wild ride! The way the horse seems to burst right out of the picture… almost like a dream. The rider has a kind of… distant, cold stare, doesn't he? Curator: Indeed. I think that coldness is revealing. Rugendas created many works focusing on battles and military life, so we have to read this within a broader framework of conflict. This image isn't just about a rider; it's part of a visual discourse of power and conquest. The subjugated figures under the horse, seemingly casualties, are particularly potent. How does their presence sit with you? Editor: It definitely darkens the initial impression. I first saw excitement, movement… then I noticed the fallen figures and it felt different. As if I’d stumbled into a nightmare unfolding in real-time. And suddenly the rider does look rather arrogant in his little hat. It gives me pause to see such power depicted so…bluntly. Almost proudly. Curator: That starkness is what many Baroque-era artists were trying to convey: the cost of glory. Remember the era – colonialism was rampant; exploration meant exploitation. These engravings can offer a chilling, yet vital dialogue on these dynamics. Notice also the lack of real environment– how the drama remains in the foregrounded actions, reducing the conflict to just the most fundamental parts. Editor: I do see that, it's interesting. Stripped down and raw, like a memory someone is fighting to forget. Thinking about today, where we grapple with monuments and historical narratives, this artwork does a brilliant job provoking those crucial, challenging conversations. There’s beauty, but unease. Curator: Exactly. Art forces us to confront these pasts, and our presents. Editor: Precisely! Now that’s a perspective that has stayed with me; a conversation piece for sure. Thanks for pointing it out.