Horses' Heads c. 1871

Curator: Here we have William Rimmer's "Horses' Heads," a drawing held here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels unfinished, a study in movement rather than a completed work. The tentative lines evoke a sense of searching. Curator: Rimmer, trained in medicine and with an interest in anatomy, often used horses to symbolize primal energy and untamed passion. Editor: You can see that tension in the scratchy, almost frantic linework. It isn't about beauty; it's about capturing the raw power of the animal. It’s about conveying emotion. Curator: Horses appear across cultures as symbols of strength, freedom, and even death. Given Rimmer’s understanding of anatomy, I suspect he was exploring more than just physical form. Editor: Perhaps. But to me, the starkness, the incompleteness...it speaks of a struggle, a mind grappling with something powerful. Curator: That's a perspective that resonates deeply. Editor: Indeed. The ambiguity is what makes it so compelling.