Zwei furagierende Reiter mit drei Pferden 1697

This pen and brown ink drawing, titled ‘Zwei furagierende Reiter mit drei Pferden’, was created by Georg Philipp Rugendas in 1697, and is held at the Städel Museum. Here we see a somewhat informal grouping of horses, riders, and figures in a landscape. Rugendas employs a hatching technique to delineate forms and to create a sense of depth, allowing light to define the shapes. The composition isn't symmetrical. The figures and horses create movement across the page with a dynamic interplay of lines and forms. The use of line is particularly striking. Rugendas’ light, quick strokes build up the figures and landscape, implying movement and energy. Semiotically, this use of the pen can be seen as more than descriptive. It reflects a broader interest in dynamism and the fleeting moment, ideas that began to challenge established notions of static representation in the late 17th century. This drawing presents an idea of art as process, emphasizing the act of seeing and recording rather than creating a perfectly polished image.