Zwaan met gespreide vleugels 1720 - 1792

Curator: Let’s take a look at “Swan with Outstretched Wings,” a drawing rendered in pencil sometime between 1720 and 1792. It’s part of the Rijksmuseum collection and the hand behind it belongs to Aert Schouman. Editor: Oh, it’s wispy, spectral almost! That fragile paper, those tentative lines – it feels like a captured breath. The swan seems startled, about to either take flight or defend its territory. Curator: The swan, as a symbol, carries such heavy cultural baggage, doesn’t it? Think of Leda and the Swan, the ballet, Tchaikovsky... a symbol of grace but also potent, sometimes violent, transformation. Editor: Absolutely! That sinuous neck, the arrogant set of the head—the swan has always represented transformation and beauty, but there’s a darker undercurrent here. The almost frantic energy in those outstretched wings. Schouman really caught something elemental. Curator: I find it fascinating that even with such simple materials—pencil and paper—Schouman conveys the sheer size of the bird, and this sense of restrained energy you pinpointed is key. Editor: The unfinished quality, though. Is it a sketch? A study for a larger work perhaps? Or something he returned to, over and over, trying to capture that elusive spark? It makes you wonder what other studies of similar types were drawn that weren’t deemed as important. Curator: Most likely, yes, given it’s made of pencil. Perhaps he was practicing portraying animals, as part of his work doing glass painting. It's easy to imagine this Swan finding its place in a decorative panel. Editor: It's more intimate, this feels more like a quiet observation rather than a statement. One can see how studies and simple practice lead up to important artworks. This drawing gives a sense of the artist just recording a single, very quick observation of his surroundings. Curator: Looking closely makes us think about artistic development, observing Schouman practice helps provide a perspective into finished works of the time. I find that rather enchanting. Editor: Me too! It makes us think how all it takes to become great, is to start from nothing and practice, like Schouman did. It certainly inspires the journey of appreciating all works.