Paard voor een herberg 1815 - 1860

This etching by Abraham Hendrik Winter depicts a horse outside an inn. The horse, a symbol of movement and vitality, stands patiently, tethered to a drinking trough. The motif of a horse at rest outside an inn is a recurring one in art history, evoking themes of travel, respite, and the transient nature of life. Think of similar scenes, where the horse symbolizes not just physical travel, but also the journey of life, burdened by the weight of daily toils. This image reminds us of the inn as a liminal space, a pause in the journey, much like life's inevitable pauses. The horse, in its stillness, also suggests a deeper psychological state: patience, endurance, and a quiet acceptance of its lot, connecting to archetypal images of animals bearing burdens, reflecting our own human capacity for perseverance. Like a shadow of the collective memory, the image of the horse by the trough persists.