En gråskimlet hest strigles i Via Margutta 1845

Curator: Johan Thomas Lundbye created this watercolor, "En graaskimlet hest strigles i Via Margutta," or "A Grey Dappled Horse Being Groomed in Via Margutta" in 1845, while he was in Rome. Editor: What a wonderfully peculiar scene! My immediate sense is…stillness. Almost a stage set with these figures frozen in their roles. It feels theatrical somehow. Curator: Absolutely, and considering Lundbye's political engagements, perhaps this piece performs a very particular kind of work. This street, Via Margutta, was known for its association with artists' models and stables in 19th century Rome. It can be read as both observation and a critical engagement with representation and class. Editor: The almost spectral quality of the horse—grey-dappled as the title indicates— adds to that stillness. Its form emerges delicately from the background wash. I wonder about the groom’s quiet labour, too, the simple act of care underscored by that woman’s presence, silently observing. Curator: Right. In many ways, the subject embodies a type of rural romanticism juxtaposed with urban realism. He’s likely grappling with ideas around labor, class, and the picturesque through the figures. His other work has addressed issues around Danish national identity. Editor: He was! So what is this, this momentary tableau, meant to signify? I like your mention of the picturesque – there's a controlled composition even in the roughness, the unfinished quality of the sketch adds another layer of thought. Curator: Exactly. There are interesting visual binaries throughout the composition: the stable hand in his labour alongside the contemplative gaze of the woman watching; the animal versus its environment; the idea of action frozen in a static rendering. It provides an important document reflecting social dynamics, not just a scene. Editor: The rough texture against this pale wash adds so much intrigue! So many levels in this scene—realism, representation, that lovely melancholy of transient moments— all converge in Lundbye’s watery embrace! Curator: And hopefully offers us a window into reflecting on those tensions that defined life, class, labor, and the arts.