Studieblad met ruiter in een landschap Possibly 1886 - 1889

Curator: Looking at "Studieblad met ruiter in een landschap," which translates to "Study Sheet with Rider in a Landscape," we see an intriguing ink drawing likely created between 1886 and 1889. It's currently housed at the Rijksmuseum. What strikes you immediately about this piece? Editor: The scratchiness, the apparent randomness of marks, gives it a very immediate, dreamlike quality. Despite being a landscape, it's the human element that really jumps out – a rider, and a figure seemingly reaching out to him. It's an unsettling juxtaposition. Curator: Indeed. Consider the period. The late 19th century was a time of huge societal upheaval. Artists were increasingly interested in depicting modern life, and this work feels almost like a rejection of grand historical narratives, reducing the narrative to almost childlike, simple form. Editor: I agree. The symbol of the rider has historically been a figure of power and conquest, of course. Yet, here, he seems strangely detached, perhaps even vulnerable, due to the awkward sketch. What do you think is suggested by the handwritten notations and random math symbols scattered throughout? Curator: Those are fascinating and they add to its intimacy, which is contradictory, being held in a very public and famous collection now. The formulas lend a scientific or even alchemical feel, maybe hinting at attempts to dissect the world through logic and reason alongside the immediate experience of encountering a fellow being in the natural landscape. Editor: So it’s a clash of methodologies—almost like the artistic and the rational mind in conversation… or, at least, in the same sketchbook! It all returns us to the basic human element. Even in this age of rapid advancement and industrialization, these human exchanges still took precedence and held power over individual choices, doesn't it? Curator: Yes, and I see the piece itself as a testament to that lasting influence. Editor: Absolutely. It's a powerful look into society during that particular time, through a symbolic lense, too.