Naar voren lopende, trekkende man 1867 - 1923

George Hendrik Breitner captured this drawing of a man pulling something in front of him. The act of pulling, the labor, it is one of the oldest gestures known to humankind. In ancient Egypt, we see pharaohs depicted leading their armies, a potent symbol of control and leadership. The act of pulling is, therefore, an act of exerting one's will upon the world, a primal assertion of power. One must also consider the emotional weight of this symbol. The strain on the figure's body, the unseen weight he pulls, these elements evoke feelings of struggle and perseverance. Consider, too, how it is internalized, as in Sisyphus condemned to eternally roll a boulder uphill. This timeless symbol of unending toil resonates deeply within our collective memory. We each carry our own burdens, unseen weights that shape our posture and influence our path. Like the figures in this artwork, humanity’s narrative is one of constant exertion, a relentless, cyclical journey of perpetual burdens.