Beeld van een vrouw met een paard in het Huis ter Meer te Maarssen c. 1903

This photograph captures a wall-mounted sculpture of a woman and a horse, or maybe the woman *is* the horse. The image is sepia toned. Looking at this, I can only imagine the patient handwork, the constant decisions of the sculptor; building up, scraping away. It’s about intuition, isn't it? They saw a vision in their mind and followed it. There's a kind of humbleness in anonymous work. The sculptor is working in service to something else. Think about Rodin, his sculptures were about capturing movement, and fleeting expression. Here the folds of the woman’s gown, caught mid-stride, convey this beautifully. It reminds me of Lee Bontecou’s use of rough, found materials. This unknown artist is also speaking the language of the everyday, transmuting the mundane into something profound. Isn't that amazing? All these artists, though separated by time and intention, are linked. They’re all wrestling with the same beast: how to make something out of nothing. How to make form from the formless.