Horses 1836

Editor: This is "Horses" by August Koellner, its date is unknown and it is currently at the Harvard Art Museums. It reminds me of a classical frieze, filled with movement. What symbols do you see in this print? Curator: Well, horses, since antiquity, have carried many symbolic loads: power, virility, freedom. Here, though, they seem to be in a state of panic, perhaps mirroring human anxieties. Do you notice how the hare is being trampled? Editor: Yes! It’s like the horses represent an overwhelming force. I wonder if this image speaks to ideas about power and vulnerability? Curator: Precisely. It's a potent reminder of how symbols can be layered and even contradictory, reflecting complex human experiences across time. Editor: I see how the artist used recognizable symbols to show something new and perhaps unsettling. Thanks!