Ride a Cock Horse 

Scott Gustafson painted this interpretation of the nursery rhyme "Ride a Cock Horse" using watercolors, in a style echoing illustrators of the Golden Age. Notice how the horse is adorned with bells, objects which, since antiquity, have been used to purify the atmosphere and ward off evil spirits. The maiden’s floral crown and the horse's regal attire evoke fertility and prosperity. It also harkens back to ancient Roman triumphs, where military leaders paraded through the city, celebrated as embodiments of victory and divine favor. Yet, the seemingly innocent scene takes on a different tone. The woman holds a falcon, a symbol of nobility, power, and freedom. This could represent the subjugation and domestication of primal instincts. It is a visual paradox where societal structures intersect with natural impulses, prompting us to consider the delicate balance between control and liberation. It is cyclical and non-linear, as our ancestors did.