Yoke for Oxen 1935 - 1942

Rose Campbell-Gerke's drawing presents us with a 'Yoke for Oxen,' a simple wooden mechanism, yet laden with symbolic weight. The yoke, designed to bind two animals together for labor, speaks to a fundamental aspect of human existence: the harnessing of nature's power. Consider how the motif of the yoke reappears across cultures and eras, from ancient agricultural societies to allegorical representations of servitude. The yoke represents cooperation, but also subjugation. Think of the biblical phrase "take my yoke upon you," symbolizing submission to divine will, or in ancient Rome where captured enemies were forced to pass under a yoke, signifying defeat and enslavement. These symbols are carried through time, evolving, yet retaining their core emotional charge. The psychological impact of the yoke, the potent mix of shared burden and enforced compliance, continues to resonate deeply within our collective memory, engaging us on a primal, often subconscious level.