Ezelkar en een paardenkar op de Overtoom in Amsterdam 1896 - 1905

This monochromatic image captures a scene on the Overtoom in Amsterdam. A modest cart drawn by a horse is juxtaposed with a smaller cart pulled by a donkey. These beasts of burden, central to the composition, invite reflection on labor, humility, and the cyclical nature of human and animal toil. Consider the donkey: throughout history, it appears as a symbol in various guises. In antiquity, it was linked to fertility and Dionysus, yet it also became an emblem of foolishness and stubbornness in fables and religious texts. This duality is fascinating. We see a similar tension in depictions of horses. Noble steeds often signify power and triumph, but here, the horse is reduced to its working role. The emotional cadence of the image lies in its understated portrayal of everyday life. Like a silent film, it evokes a sense of melancholy, a deep-seated recognition of the shared burdens we carry through time. This image reminds us that symbols are not static; they evolve, intertwine, and continually resurface in the theater of human experience.