Strijders te paard in een woestijnlandschap before 1910

H.C. Louwerse made this small painting of mounted warriors in what looks like watercolor or gouache. The painting feels like it came into being intuitively, with quick decisions and shifting of forms. I can imagine Louwerse starting with the horses and riders, maybe from a memory or a sketch, and then letting the landscape emerge around them. Look how the figures are built up with layers of grey and white. The paint is thin and translucent, allowing the surface to breathe. But it also has a kind of chalky opacity too, like he mixed pigment directly into the medium. The gesture of the figure pointing is so descriptive! It really communicates a sense of urgency and direction. I imagine Louwerse was thinking about movement and narrative while making this. He was probably looking at other painters of historical scenes and battle scenes. Artists are always in conversation with one another, across time, inspiring each other's creativity. This painting feels like a part of that exchange, embracing ambiguity and uncertainty.