Paard met paardentuig c. 1828 - 1897

Curator: This drawing by Adrianus Eversen, titled "Paard met paardentuig," which translates to "Horse with harness", was likely created between 1828 and 1897 using pencil on paper. It offers an interesting glimpse into the daily lives of people during that period. Editor: There’s an immediacy to it. You can sense the artist rapidly capturing something that caught their eye. The harness looks so cumbersome—what kind of work was this horse doing, do you think? Curator: The drawing evokes the horse as a symbol of labor, of a relationship between humans and animals based often on domination. Given its realism, I suspect the artist was observing work horses as common scenery. This image provides some context into horse-use at this time, as during much of the nineteenth century, the social meaning of equestrianism had increasingly democratic significance due to the spread of equestrian activities and technology across social classes. Editor: I see what you mean. Looking at the horse as symbol and sign is very appropriate. It's like Eversen aimed to emphasize those burdens carried across history by animals forced to collaborate with humankind in nation-building activities and military, imperial advances. So we're seeing a record here, not just of a horse, but of a very material kind of labor exploitation, aren't we? Curator: I concur that the drawing allows us to see a dimension of harsh labor conditions. Note also how detailed the artist went to render all of those harness details. That alone tells you something about the prominence that the horses represented in urban space as labor engines. Think about its historical context: this was a period where we had intense changes in mobility due to technological developments such as the steam engine or, in agriculture, new equipment requiring the labor force of these animals. The horse thus gained not only functional prominence but also as cultural icon that bridged past traditions and future aspirations. Editor: It is fascinating how the presence of harnesses turns an animal representation into an archive of that period's global economy, telling us more than just about the art, as a visual record, but opening a larger socio-historical context for interpretation. Thank you for making those points. Curator: My pleasure. Thank you for prompting me to observe this drawing from a fresh viewpoint.