Hull's Mill, near Castle Hedingham 

Eric Ravilious created this wood engraving of Hull's Mill near Castle Hedingham. Immediately, the horse in the foreground captures our attention, a figure laden with symbolic weight. In ancient Greece, the horse was associated with Poseidon, god of the seas, and symbolized power and untamed nature. Now, observe how Ravilious positions the horse before the gridded field, contrasting raw vitality with structured cultivation. This echoes a recurring theme of man's dominion over nature, a dialogue as old as civilization itself. Think of the Roman equestrian statues, where emperors asserted authority and control. Yet, here, the horse seems almost melancholic, its gaze distant, as if aware of the encroaching order represented by the mill and its structured environment. This tension is not merely aesthetic; it speaks to the subconscious unease we feel when progress threatens the wild, stirring within us a collective memory of a world where nature reigned supreme. The motif of the horse in art continues its cyclical journey through time, reappearing in various forms, each reflecting the shifting dynamics between humanity and the natural world.