Am Waldesrand. Reiter auf einem Wege, bildeinwärts 1887

Curator: Looking at "Am Waldesrand. Reiter auf einem Wege, bildeinwärts", created by Hans Thoma in 1887, I’m struck by how the artist captured such a serene landscape with ink, watercolor, and coloured pencil. The lone rider almost seems to be swallowed up by the natural world around them. What's your initial read? Editor: Swallowed is right! There's something about the smallness of the rider compared to the expansive field and distant town that gives me a slightly melancholic vibe, as though this journey is more of an escape, or a meditation. The soft, diffused colours only amplify this mood; I'm thinking it’s the pictorial manifestation of longing. Curator: I find it interesting you see escape in it. Thoma was working en plein air here, embracing a direct connection to nature. The genre paintings, typical of his era, frequently positioned figures within larger landscapes to contemplate themes of nature, memory and maybe the societal implications of that relationship. Editor: Okay, so he’s out there soaking it all in and we, as viewers, become complicit in that consumption. And there's that romantic influence too, that celebration of raw emotion and untamed landscapes. This isn't just about seeing pretty scenery; it's about the personal experience with the world, made public. Is it ironic, or perhaps simply telling, that the natural refuge we are presented with in the drawing has a whole village perched in its backyard? Curator: That touch of civilization certainly creates a fascinating tension. Thoma grappled with the idealized past and industrializing present. In some ways, the figure heading “bildeinwarts”, is symbolic of the modern gaze – venturing towards untouched territory. The figure isn't necessarily "escaping," but engaging with nature in a controlled, picturesque manner. The act of observing nature transforms nature itself, fitting within the frames that suit a certain aesthetic. Editor: The frame is the transaction: Nature provides solace for us through painting. It’s an ecosystem, both creatively and conceptually, and yes I think perhaps Thoma's "romanticism" has a whiff of bourgeois sensibility that is quite calculated, quite managed. He sets up this encounter. I still sense a certain melancholy, maybe a recognition that true escape is an illusion when one always returns to town. Curator: Perhaps, or maybe it’s a journey inward, aided by nature, ending where he started—back in the heart of society. It feels like both an embrace and critique of its time. Editor: Beautifully put. It certainly gives us plenty to consider as we step away from this particular walk in the woods!