Holle weg waarop paardespan met een berijder 1871 - 1906

Pieter de Josselin de Jong created this image of a sunken road with a horse and rider using graphite pencil, likely at the end of the 19th century. It’s a work that evokes the quiet solitude of rural life, yet it also subtly speaks to broader social and economic currents. In this drawing, we see not a grand landscape, but a humble, everyday scene. The choice of such a subject can be seen as a reflection of the artist’s connection to the common person, and the rise of Realism in art during this time. The subdued tones and somewhat somber atmosphere may suggest the weight of labor and the often unseen lives of those who worked the land. The rider, shrouded and anonymous, could be anyone, and perhaps that's the point. There is a quiet dignity in the everyday. It asks us to consider the humanity and the stories embedded in these ordinary moments.