Head of a Horse. Study for Equestrian Statue of Christian IX 1924

Editor: Here we have Anne Marie Carl Nielsen's bronze sculpture, "Head of a Horse. Study for Equestrian Statue of Christian IX", from 1924. The horse’s open mouth and strained neck create a palpable sense of tension. How would you approach this sculpture? Curator: Looking at Nielsen's process is key. This bronze wasn’t just shaped, it was manufactured, implying the artist's engagement with industrial methods. It makes me consider the labor behind its creation – the foundry workers, the mold-makers, the sheer physicality of bronze casting itself. Editor: That's fascinating! It completely shifts my focus from the purely representational to the reality of its creation. But does that emphasis detract from appreciating the artistry, like the horse's lifelike tension? Curator: Not at all. Knowing the effort involved, the physical labor and social conditions of production, deepens the appreciation. Consider that bronze casting would likely involve collaboration, not solitary artistry, influencing the very form and character of the artwork. We must examine how gender may have been a factor as well: As a woman making a sculpture for a male monarch, do you see that affecting the work, making it more conservative, maybe? Editor: I never thought of that, it definitely gives me something to consider. Seeing the process helps humanize the sculpture, highlighting the human effort embedded within the bronze. Curator: Precisely. And what about the "waste" or detritus produced? Material matters such as excess metal, molding remains, and discarded tools open an environmental and economical viewpoint on the whole artistic endeavor. Editor: It is amazing how the lens of material production provides new perspectives of observation! It enhances the ways of appreciating such an historical artifact. Thank you!