Vluchtende soldaat te paard 1832 - 1902

Curator: This light pencil work immediately strikes me as dynamic, capturing a pivotal moment of frantic escape. Editor: Indeed. We're looking at "Vluchtende soldaat te paard," or "Fleeing Soldier on Horseback," a pencil drawing by Karel Frederik Bombled. The creation date is somewhat broad, ranging from 1832 to 1902. It resides here in the Rijksmuseum. Curator: Bombled clearly prioritizes conveying motion. Look at the horse's exaggerated, almost theatrical, leap. The pencil strokes themselves seem to mimic the subject’s frantic energy. It is all about the process of sketching to rapidly capture this essence of Romanticism. Editor: From a historical perspective, it is interesting to note the proliferation of military imagery in the art world during this period, driven by major socio-political conflicts, reflecting a need to immortalize figures in dramatic narratives. Do you see any particular symbolism that may tie back into what he might have intended, from a historical angle? Curator: I don't think symbolism is Bombled's primary concern. His sketch focuses more on a mood – the desperation of a fleeing soldier. Look at the frenzied scribbles used for the landscape; they reinforce the emotional urgency, echoing a sense of fear and turmoil. The use of such basic materials, and focus on action rather than clarity, suggest he intended this as a study piece rather than a fully resolved artwork for exhibition. Editor: Precisely. A possible preliminary study for a larger history painting intended for public consumption. It captures a genre painting feel, really. Curator: Exactly. I love seeing the hand of the artist at play; those almost frenzied marks breathe life into the piece. The means by which he expresses the landscape supports the focal figure so dramatically. Editor: Yes, considering the socio-political climate, this sketch grants access into the era through a tangible display of romantic notions and military grandeur, but not as grand when we consider how quick it all seems to have been assembled. Curator: Precisely, this makes for an artwork that manages to have the right balance of urgency, and grandness due to how it was constructed and conceived! Editor: Agreed! The implications of this artwork, whether large or small, is what makes this a significant image.