Bijzonder paard van Karl Eugen von Württemberg 1746 - 1780

Curator: Oh, look at this gorgeous creature! This engraving is entitled "Bijzonder paard van Karl Eugen von Württemberg," or "Special Horse of Karl Eugen von Württemberg," created by Johann Elias Ridinger sometime between 1746 and 1780. It's currently held at the Rijksmuseum. What's your initial reaction? Editor: Striking! The pose is almost…theatrical? Like it's showing off, really pleased with itself. The detail in the shading, especially considering it’s an engraving, gives it a lovely almost smoky depth. Curator: Ridinger was a master of animal depictions, especially horses, capturing both their physical form and spirit. He’s employing realism here, and I notice some of the line work, how would you characterize it? Editor: Certainly a blend of styles here. Note the rigid lines of the architecture behind, contrasting the graceful lines and modeling used for the horse, baroque through and through, emphasizing drama and detail in its purest form, almost to make it more of a idealized symbol of power than just your everyday, you know, *horse*. Curator: I love that take. And Karl Eugen, for whom the horse was presumably a prized possession, was known for his extravagant lifestyle, so that reading totally makes sense. This engraving, rendered in such detail, elevates the horse to almost aristocratic status, don’t you think? Editor: Absolutely! You know, it’s interesting to consider the choice of medium. An engraving is a meticulous process, a very controlled art form. It kind of mirrors the control exerted over a highly trained animal and maybe hints at some sort of underlying social control during the Baroque era too, it speaks to perfection doesn’t it? Curator: Fascinating. So you see the medium as reinforcing the themes of control and idealized representation within the image itself. That gives me something new to mull over, thank you. Editor: Anytime. I think seeing the interplay of technique and representation adds another layer to appreciating this very special horse.