Gesneuveld paard op de rechterzij liggend 1674 - 1733

Jan van Huchtenburg made this etching of a fallen horse sometime in the late 17th or early 18th century. Huchtenburg was known for his battle scenes, and in that context, this image of a fallen horse becomes a potent symbol of the ravages of war. Consider for a moment the horse’s positionality in 17th century Europe. It was a crucial instrument, not only as a beast of burden but also as a tool of war, and a mount of the aristocracy. Note the musculature of the horse; it’s clearly a warhorse, a breed prized for their strength, agility and courage. And now, here, it lies defeated on the ground, its body rendered with unforgiving detail. What does it mean to see this once proud animal brought low? Huchtenburg asks us to consider the cost of war, not in terms of human lives alone, but in the suffering inflicted on all beings caught in its path. We are left to contemplate the silent victims of human conflict.