Huzaar 1830 - 1835

Editor: This is “Huzaar,” made between 1830 and 1835 by Willem Charles Magnenat, currently at the Rijksmuseum. It’s ink and watercolor on paper – a very delicate looking work. I’m struck by how crisp and neat the soldier looks, posed proudly on his grey steed. How do you read this image? Curator: It feels like stepping into a perfectly staged theater scene, doesn't it? Magnenat has this delightful knack for imbuing what could be a straightforward portrait with a touch of almost playful formality. The uniform practically sings, and I can almost hear the trumpet fanfare! What intrigues me is the tension between the rigid pose and the fluid strokes of the watercolor. Notice the horse – he seems to almost be dancing! What do you make of the contrast between the medium, and the subject itself? Editor: That’s interesting, I see the stiff posture, but I didn’t consider how the watercolors play against that. It almost makes the soldier feel a little… softer? Less imposing? Curator: Precisely! Perhaps Magnenat is suggesting that even amidst the pomp and circumstance of military life, there’s room for nuance, for individuality to peek through. It feels so intrinsically Romantic. Does it trigger any deeper feelings for you? Editor: It definitely brings up notions of Romanticism, I didn’t consider it much past genre-painting but the delicate medium paired with the military figure complicates it! Curator: It truly is a gorgeous, understated work, the kind that whispers secrets instead of shouting them. I see something new in it every time I look. Editor: Me too, thanks for helping me see past the surface!