In 't Jaar 1036 c. 1789 - 1810

This pen and gray ink drawing, titled 'In 't Jaar 1036', resides in the Rijksmuseum, its creator lost to time. At its heart, a figure atop a horse commands attention, positioned before a tower bearing a cross. The equestrian motif carries echoes from antiquity, seen in Roman triumphal arches and imperial equestrian statues. The horse, a potent symbol of power, control, and nobility, transcends mere transport. This symbol extends beyond the battlefield into realms of mythology and legend, where gods and heroes ride upon steeds of unparalleled strength and beauty. The tower, crowned with a cross, introduces us to the layered tapestry of religious architecture, as the cross evolved through history from a symbol of death to a symbol of resurrection. Symbols live, migrate, and evolve. They remind us that history is not a linear march but a complex dance of recurrence and reinvention.