Studieblad met ogen en een liggend paard 1881 - 1883

Curator: I find myself immediately drawn into this raw, unfiltered glimpse into the artist's process; the composition seems so vulnerable, so exploratory. Editor: Indeed. This is "Studieblad met ogen en een liggend paard," a page of studies featuring eyes and a reclining horse, crafted between 1881 and 1883 by George Hendrik Breitner. The Rijksmuseum holds this work on paper, a delicate dance of pencil and observation. Curator: The eyes above the horse – it's almost surreal, like peeking into the dreamscape of the artist's mind. They seem to watch the sleeping animal, almost guarding it. Do you feel that tension, that sense of overseeing presence? Editor: Semiotically, the floating eyes evoke the notion of surveillance and awareness – signifiers that potentially disrupt the tranquility implied by the resting horse. The superimposition prompts us to deconstruct assumptions about observation and the subject-object relationship. Curator: God, that is way over my head. But still – I see the languid weight of the horse, that casual realism. You feel how real this moment felt, observing this creature at rest. What story do you think he was trying to tell? Or was it all just experiment? Editor: Breitner, aligned with the currents of realism, wasn’t after conventional narratives. The very texture of the pencil work and layering on the page serves as an active statement on observation, not story, wouldn't you agree? The paper *is* the declaration here, its rough edges framing glimpses and incomplete moments. Curator: You're right. Its about capturing that fleeting instance; those little stolen glimpses you get when you observe life, a feeling almost. He wants to bring us with him for a brief pause, so that we may share in experiencing just seeing! Editor: Precisely! In conclusion, what seems initially as a casual sketchbook study, unravels upon closer examination to show an interrogation of how seeing impacts experiencing. Curator: Beautifully put. So next time, maybe I won't let those watching eyes make me so jumpy! Thanks for helping me see a deeper narrative within Breitner's raw artistry.