Hoofd van een paard met oogkleppen op, naar links 1818

Jean Bernard created this drawing of a horse's head with eye flaps in the late 18th or early 19th century. The restrained use of graphite on paper emphasizes line and form over color and texture. The composition, tightly cropped to the animal's head, invites immediate and focused inspection. Bernard's choice to depict the horse with eye flaps is particularly telling. These flaps, functional objects designed to limit a horse's vision, become loaded signifiers. They speak to themes of control and the manipulation of perception. In this light, the image suggests a broader commentary on the nature of seeing and knowing. It asks us to consider how external constraints shape internal understanding. Ultimately, the drawing's power lies in its formal austerity and its ability to evoke such complex questions through such simple means. It stands as a reminder that even the most representational of images can serve as sites of philosophical inquiry.