Uniform van een ruiter van Van Poes 1795 - 1796

Editor: This is S.G. Casten's "Uniform van een ruiter van Van Poes," made between 1795 and 1796 using pencil, ink, and watercolor. There is such fascinating detail of the rider and his mount compared to the faded and incomplete figures beside the title on the left page. What symbolic reading do you find most compelling in this juxtaposition of images? Curator: It is in the stark contrast, isn't it, that the image reveals its secrets. Observe how the solitary rider embodies an idealized vision of military prowess, a potent symbol in late 18th-century Europe. Yet, notice how faded echoes of other riders reside to the left. How might we understand these almost ghostly images, which appear beside the book’s title? What stories might those figures tell? Editor: Perhaps the other, less detailed figures, speak to a broader history? Less about the individual, more about a collective memory? Curator: Precisely. It raises profound questions about identity, doesn't it? Is this drawing a study of individual heroism or does it seek to address the more nuanced and collective identity that embodies "Van Poes's" riders. Editor: I hadn't considered that before. I was so focused on the striking figure that I missed the broader context. Thanks so much. Curator: And I was reminded not to get too lost in detail. Looking at those other faded figures I remembered the importance of understanding cultural symbols of continuity in both visibility and in absence.