Het rijden is een schoone zaak, / Het strekt tot nut en tot vermaak. / Doch lieve kind'ren, bij het rijden, / Moet men een ongeluk vermijden 1848 - 1881

This print, made by Lutkie & Cranenburg, presents a series of scenes depicting horse-drawn carriages and carts within individual boxes. The composition is structured as a grid, each rectangle framing a distinct vignette. The colour palette is subdued, with gentle washes of blue, green, and brown delineating the figures and landscapes, creating a sense of quaint simplicity. The organization into discrete units invites a structuralist reading. Each scene can be seen as a sign, conveying a particular message about transportation, labour, or social class. The repetition of the motif – variations on horse and vehicle – emphasizes the underlying structure of daily life and movement. The semiotic system at play uses familiar imagery to reinforce societal norms and hierarchies, even as it presents a seemingly innocent tableau of everyday scenes. Note the overall effect isn't just aesthetic as it conveys underlying cultural meanings about work, transport, and social roles in 19th-century Netherlands. The artwork becomes a site where ideas about progress and tradition, labor and leisure, converge and are open to interpretation.