Ruiter op Engels jachtpaard 1816 - 1839

Curator: Today we’re looking at an engraving titled "Ruiter op Engels jachtpaard" or "Rider on an English Hunting Horse" by Carle Vernet, likely created sometime between 1816 and 1839. It resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Oh, what a fantastic scene! It gives me such a breezy, outdoorsy feel. I can almost smell the wet grass and hear the distant baying of the hounds. The precision of the lines is captivating. Curator: The beauty here lies in Vernet’s meticulous rendering. Engravings like this one were about mass production; circulating imagery. This wasn't a bespoke art object, but part of a larger system. Editor: Absolutely. And to that point, Vernet’s technique shows us his incredible understanding of light and shadow. I like the idea that people might have kept images like this at home or put them up in their houses. Does that say something about the rising importance of the English horse in everyday life, not just among the aristocracy, perhaps? Curator: Without a doubt. And the composition guides the eye perfectly – from the dog eagerly bounding ahead, to the rider with a disciplined, elegant posture on horseback, to those background riders on the hunt fading into the landscape, so to speak. It creates a narrative progression within a single snapshot. We need to acknowledge, too, the skilled labor involved, not only of the artist but also the engravers. The quality and artistry were also part of how consumer value was constructed and maintained. Editor: It's true; this is like looking through a window to a bygone era, complete with social signifiers and changing ideas of sport. How interesting to view images and things that were once circulated in this way. Vernet provides us with all we need to imagine ourselves into this world; as you said before, this art allows the average individual a glimpse of an upper class way of life and pastimes. Curator: Right, let's keep this memory alive for future audiences as they gaze upon this artful printmaking. Editor: A wonderful perspective!