Fotoreproductie van een schilderij van een paard in een bos door Morten Müller before 1878

This photogravure by Johannes Jaeger captures Morten Müller’s painting of a horse in a forest. The most striking motif is the horse itself, an ancient symbol deeply rooted in human consciousness. Since the Paleolithic era, horses have galloped through our collective psyche. Think of the cave paintings at Lascaux – depictions of horses weren’t mere representations; they were imbued with a spiritual energy, symbols of power, freedom, and a primal connection to nature. The motif of the horse can be traced through countless cultures. In ancient Greece, we see it pulling the chariots of gods. Across the Nordic lands, the horse became totemic, a symbol of fertility and the wild, untamed spirit. But the symbolism evolves; the horse in harness also embodies disciplined strength, loyalty, and the harnessing of natural power. These archetypes never truly disappear; they are continuously remoulded by history and context, reflecting our ever-changing relationship with the world. The horse in Müller’s painting invokes something fundamental within us – a recognition of nature's vigour. It's a timeless symbol, ceaselessly reinvented, bearing the weight of history and culture on its back.