Ruiter naast pissend paard 1776

Joannis Jacobus Bijlaert created this drawing, "Ruiter naast pissend paard," using pen in gray-brown ink on paper. The composition is dominated by the figure of a horse, centrally positioned and captured in the very act indicated by the title, alongside a standing rider. The artist’s choice to depict this everyday, almost vulgar, moment disrupts traditional heroic or noble depictions of horses and riders. This shift in subject can be interpreted through the lens of semiotics, where the usual signs of equestrian portraiture are subverted. The act of urination, typically unseen, introduces an element of realism that destabilizes the idealized representation. Bijlaert’s work engages with notions of authenticity and challenges fixed meanings associated with status and decorum. The seemingly minor detail becomes a focal point, inviting viewers to reconsider established artistic conventions. It compels us to reflect on how even the most quotidian actions can disrupt established categories of representation.