Landschap met een man bij een ploegend paard c. 1856 - 1870

Maria Vos sketched this landscape of a man with a plowing horse using graphite, capturing a scene deeply rooted in agrarian life. The act of plowing is rich with symbolic weight. It represents not only physical labor but also the cultivation of life, the tilling of the earth to yield sustenance. This motif echoes through art history, from ancient Egyptian depictions of agricultural gods to classical Roman scenes of rural life. In each, the act of plowing is tied to themes of fertility, renewal, and the cyclical nature of existence. The image resonates on a deeper level; the repetitive, rhythmic motion of the plow can be seen as a metaphor for the human condition itself. It also brings to mind the myth of the god of the underworld Hades abducting Persephone, goddess of agriculture, a symbol of death and rebirth and the cyclical nature of life. Vos taps into a collective memory, reminding us of humanity’s enduring connection to the earth.