Ceremonieel danspaard before 1942

Reijer Stolk made this ceremonial dancing horse from an unknown material. It is at the Rijksmuseum. The horse design is printed on tan, horizontally lined paper with flatly rendered red and black inks. The overall effect is of something stylized and carefully laid out. The red and black inks contrast with the tan of the paper and enhance the horse's visual impact and suggest the liveliness and energy of a ceremonial dance. I find myself drawn to the horse’s head. The shapes are solid and the fringe of the mane gives a sense of movement, the bridle is simplified to an elegant red line. It makes me think of other printmakers like Franz Marc, who used simplified forms to create an image which is both childlike and sophisticated. Stolk’s horse reminds us that art isn't about perfection, it's about exploring ideas and processes, and finding new ways of seeing the world around us.