A Black Horse with Two Dogs 1793

Editor: This is Francis Sartorius's painting, "A Black Horse with Two Dogs." The horse is so dark, almost a silhouette. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a representation of power dynamics in 18th-century England. The horse, undoubtedly a symbol of wealth and status, stands in stark contrast to the dogs, representing servitude and the landed gentry's relationship with animals. The landscape itself reinforces this social hierarchy. What do you make of the horse's blackness? Editor: I hadn't considered it in that light. Perhaps the blackness signifies a lack of transparency, or even the unknown power wielded by the elite? Curator: Exactly. It invites us to question the visible and invisible structures of power. This simple animal portrait becomes a lens through which we can examine the complexities of class, race, and identity in Sartorius's time. Editor: I'll never look at an animal painting the same way again.