Paard bij twee bomen 1642 - 1702

Editor: So, here we have Nicolaes Ficke's "Horse by Two Trees," dating sometime between 1642 and 1702. It's a drawing in ink and pen. The thing that immediately strikes me is how incredibly detailed it is, given the limited color palette. It’s almost photographic in its precision. What’s your take? Curator: It's true, isn't it? Ficke's use of line is just exquisite; notice how he captures the texture of the horse's coat and the roughness of the bark. It's almost like a little world in ink. And the horse! So calm, so present. I wonder, do you think that other figure is a farmer? Editor: It could be, maybe resting after work? The setting definitely feels rural. I hadn't thought about the farmer resting; perhaps it's meant to show a simple pastoral scene of daily life? Curator: Perhaps. And doesn’t the almost nonchalant way the horse is rendered evoke a quiet, simple harmony? What thoughts meander through *your* mind as you gaze at this snapshot? What whispers from the landscape do *you* think Ficke intended us to overhear? Editor: The whispers... I like that! For me, it's the peace, the simplicity that really speaks. And thinking about those whispers now, I wonder about the untold stories, those lives lived back then... Curator: Yes! Art holds our dreams; sometimes we see, in a moment, our story. Sometimes their story. Maybe both!