Sculptuur van twee mannen in militair kostuum bij een paard, door Leopold Borbone before 1859

This photogravure features Leopold Borbone's sculpture of two men in military costume with a horse, created by Grillet jeune. The sepia tones give a classical feel, with the forms sculpted in light. The composition is structured around the interplay of vertical and horizontal lines. The standing figure and the horse provide vertical thrust, while the kneeling figure offers a contrasting horizontal emphasis, stabilized by the circular base. Consider the semiotic implications: military costumes as signs of power, the horse symbolizing nobility, and the kneeling figure perhaps indicating servitude or supplication. These elements form a narrative, inviting us to decode relationships of authority. The photogravure, through its tonal range and structured composition, goes beyond mere representation. It encourages a critical engagement with the themes of power and hierarchy, visualized through a carefully constructed arrangement of form and light. Its meaning remains fluid, open to continuous interpretation.