Don Quichot 1818

Curator: This delicate pen and ink sketch, "Don Quichot", was rendered around 1818 by Horace Vernet, a French painter known for his historical and orientalist scenes. You can currently find this particular piece within the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Oh, it has a melancholic spirit. Look at Don Quixote, all gallant on his steed... he seems so determined even if slightly foolish against the backdrop of the aged, toned paper that evokes this whole sense of past adventures and faded dreams. Curator: Absolutely. Consider the means of its production. Vernet employed the quick, portable method of a sketchbook drawing. The easy transport of pen and ink allowed Vernet to capture scenes swiftly, blending history painting with landscape elements which we see hinted at here. Editor: Right, this medium really leans into the feeling of immediacy and impermanence that complements Quixote's journey – forever tilting at windmills! Also the personal element that’s felt, like opening someone's personal sketch book, really lets you connect with this legendary figure in a down-to-earth way. Curator: Indeed. By focusing on the pen work itself, and the minimal use of shading, we see a reduction in academic polish. Vernet presents an immediacy not only in subject, but also by demonstrating his working methods, thereby acknowledging both labor and the artistic process. The materiality echoes that notion of romance that was sweeping that era. Editor: And maybe a slight sense of disillusionment as Vernet sketches the legendary hero; it evokes our own attempts, or those of the Romantics, to bring ideals into reality. It is as if it has been touched by this human quality. Curator: Vernet truly uses the context and limitations of material culture to portray the quixotic spirit within the physical confines of pen, paper, and ink, allowing the sketch itself to communicate so effectively the transient spirit. Editor: It's as though the drawing whispers: "We are all a little bit Quixote," chasing visions on horseback across the parchment plains of our lives, you know? Thanks for shedding light on the process, giving me more perspective on my emotional first read of it.