Allegorie van de ijver 1788

"Allegorie van de ijver" (Allegory of Zeal), a 1788 etching by Danish artist Christian Bernhard Rode, depicts a woman standing beside a horse, her head adorned with a jug and her hand holding a spindle. The woman's pose and attire, along with the horse, create a symbolic representation of hard work and industriousness. The drawing is small in scale, measuring just 155 mm by 127 mm, and demonstrates Rode's mastery of line and detail. This artwork, housed in the Rijksmuseum, exemplifies Rode's focus on allegorical themes and his skill in capturing human and animal figures with expressive precision.