Hitching Post 1935 - 1942

Curator: Isn’t this graphite drawing captivating? It’s Michael Riccitelli's "Hitching Post," likely created between 1935 and 1942. Editor: I am struck by the stoicism of the horse. The graphite lends it a somber, almost melancholic air, wouldn't you agree? Like it has seen better days. Curator: Absolutely, but there's more to it. Think about the horse itself as a cultural touchstone. For centuries, it symbolized nobility, strength, freedom… Now it's a static object, rendered in shades of gray. A relic, really. Editor: Yes, like a king in exile! Hitching posts mark boundaries, ownership, even servitude. Seeing that majestic animal’s head cast like that implies loss of autonomy, but perhaps also endurance. The sculptor put the symbol of authority under control, quite literally, because now that majestic animal’s head will endure, stoic as ever. Curator: Interesting. The leaves adorning the pillar beneath the horse head remind me of laurel wreaths of victory. I almost feel that the sculptor may have seen an equivalence with military conflicts of the interwar. So, it does make the idea of a king in exile even more resonating. Editor: It’s not just about constraint, I believe. The horse has always been seen as a war asset throughout centuries and civilizations, it evokes that idea in my head: is that statue commemorating victory, defeat, the soldiers involved, or the very figure of Power. The fact that this is rendered so realistically gives it gravity. Curator: Indeed. It is powerful imagery when you look into it. Perhaps this is why, I feel moved by the piece's complex themes of control and loss, which in themselves can teach us valuable lessons in modern day culture. Editor: It makes us pause and consider our own tethers, metaphorical or otherwise, doesn't it? Thank you for sharing it with us.