Vier ruiters 1875

This print by J. Ursel depicts riders on horseback against a vaguely defined landscape. The riders evoke the timeless motif of the horseman, a figure laden with symbolic weight across cultures. From the equestrian statues of Roman emperors asserting dominance to the biblical Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse representing conquest, war, famine, and death, the rider on horseback carries potent associations. Consider the recurring image of the horseman, a symbol of power and control, juxtaposed with the vulnerability and mortality of the human form. The horseman's appearance in various mythologies and historical narratives serves as a reminder of the enduring human fascination with themes of destiny, conflict, and the cyclical nature of history, suggesting a powerful force engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. The non-linear, cyclical progression of this symbol resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings in different historical contexts.