Paard aan teugel vastgehouden door man zittend op steen 1733 - 1789

Editor: Right, let's dive into this drawing, "Paard aan teugel vastgehouden door man zittend op steen"—"Horse held by a man sitting on a stone." It’s a pencil drawing by Johann Jakob Schalch, dating sometime between 1733 and 1789. I get a real sense of quiet contemplation from this. What leaps out at you when you look at this piece? Curator: What grabs me? It's the unspoken narrative simmering beneath the surface. A story not explicitly told, but deeply felt, like a melody hummed under one's breath on a sun-dappled afternoon. A fellow and his horse…but what are they *thinking*? Is the horse weary, like an old leather-bound book yearning to be opened, read, and rediscovered? Editor: That's beautiful! I hadn’t thought of the horse's weariness that way. The man seems lost in thought, almost melancholic. It contrasts with the little dog that’s lurking to the left. Curator: Ah, yes, the canine interlude! A flash of rustic wit there, don’t you think? Makes me wonder if the artist ever caught a glimpse of himself in the drawing somehow—perhaps as the thoughtful gentleman or even the loyal dog hoping for a moment of recognition, or simply a friendly pat on the head! What kind of Baroque ‘genre’ moment do you sense that they’re enjoying together? Editor: I think you are right to consider it a bit of "genre painting," for it depicts these quiet moments of daily life with folks and animals on view. But how does the drawing style fit within the Baroque, then? It seems very minimal. Curator: Good question. Yes, indeed the style leans more into subtle expressions, using stark contrasts between light and shadow for theatrical and emotional resonance. Look at how Schalch uses light to illuminate the horse’s form but leaves much of the surrounding woods shadowy and mysterious! The pencil becomes almost…expressive, a visual echo of an emotional experience! What I’d love to discover is why this man is just sitting around in the middle of the forest! Editor: Absolutely, it really is a scene with a captivating understated feel, made extra charming because it's a glimpse of life nearly 300 years ago.