Figuur op een paardenkar 1886 - 1898

Here is an intriguing sketch by George Hendrik Breitner, housed in the Rijksmuseum, capturing a figure on a horse cart. The wheel, an ancient symbol of both progress and cyclical existence, dominates our view. The wheel, seemingly simple, carries a heavy cultural load. In ancient sun worship, the wheel symbolized the sun's daily journey and was often associated with deities, signifying power and cyclical renewal. From the Celtic wheel crosses to the Buddhist Dharma wheel, its spoked form transcends cultures, embodying cosmic order and endless return. Consider the wheel in contrast to the serpent, another cyclical symbol, yet one often tied to chaos and transformation. Here, the wheel perhaps represents a more ordered progression, yet its endless turning can also suggest the futility of linear advancement. This image, sketched with quick strokes, evokes a sense of fleeting modernity, the horse cart a transitional technology. Breitner captures not just a scene, but a moment in the grand, cyclical march of human endeavor.