Twee mannen te paard in een bos before 1886

This print, by Charles Leander Weed, depicts two men on horseback amidst the grandeur of a forest. Note how the artist uses the motif of the 'path in the woods'. This evokes a journey, a quest, or even a pilgrimage. This archetype recurs throughout art history, from ancient myths to Romantic landscapes. Think of the wanderings in the forests of Caspar David Friedrich, where figures are dwarfed by the sublime, untamed nature. The rider on horseback, similarly, carries a potent symbolic charge, echoing the heroic equestrian statues of antiquity. We can consider its evolution from a symbol of power and authority to one of solitary contemplation, like one finds in renaissance paintings. These symbols resonate with our collective memory, engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level, illustrating the cyclical return and transformation of potent symbols.