Ruiter (tweemaal) 1975

Curator: What a delicately rendered scene. This etching, "Ruiter (tweemaal)" or "Rider (Twice)" by Aat Verhoog, completed in 1975, invites us into a whimsical world. Editor: Whimsical indeed. The ethereal quality makes me think of half-remembered dreams or sketches jotted down in a moment of distraction. It feels light, fleeting, almost fragile. Curator: I’m fascinated by Verhoog’s process. The artist uses these very delicate lines to create the work. One scene above the other on this one sheet. There are clearly repeated themes throughout Verhoog's broader artistic production. How would you assess this? Editor: The limited means here is particularly fascinating. It's a great example of how much can be communicated through very little material—the way the ink interacts with the paper, the bite of the etching. You immediately notice that these pieces seem focused more on the interaction of forms in the space, how people relate to nature or each other in these fleeting, ephemeral situations. Curator: You’ve hit on something vital: The artist shows two such relationships on this one print! Each is intimate, but mysterious, rendered in this precise medium and method, in monochrome. Almost as if color might spoil the emotional landscape… Editor: Exactly! Color would probably destroy the deliberate starkness and challenge of Verhoog's work. It makes me think about how we assign value to 'finished' artworks versus these kinds of sketches. Here's this image, which I understand to be on display at the Rijksmuseum. To what degree did Verhoog plan on presenting this to an audience? Was it for Verhoog's personal benefit alone? Curator: I think you are correct; this does feel like a very personal and private image. Like we’ve been allowed to peek inside an intimate journal or personal history… It’s quiet but filled with longing, wouldn’t you say? Editor: Longing is an insightful descriptor. The whole experience leaves me considering the function of sketches and preliminary works in art history and their capacity to act as finished pieces for audiences, as well as a space for reflection. Curator: Precisely. It is in seeing how an artist approaches subjects for themself that they give something so generous to a viewing public. Thanks for bringing a different perspective to this work. Editor: Likewise! Thanks for your illuminating reading of Verhoog.