Paard met tuig 1845

This is an undated pencil drawing by Christian Heinrich Gottlieb Steuerwald, showing a horse with full harness, ready for work. The drawing is straightforward in its use of materials, but rich in its implications. Steuerwald seems to have been less concerned with the horse itself than with the equipment attached to it. The animal is, above all, a vehicle for labor. Every strap, buckle, and support is carefully delineated, suggesting a deep understanding of the technology that allows the horse to perform. Drawings like this give us insight into the relationship between humans, animals, and the wider economy. Horses were vital engines in the pre-industrial age. Steuerwald shows us that the means of making, and the materials used, are as significant as the artistic skill demonstrated.