Paardenarts dient ziek paard een medicijn toe 1708 - 1767

This is an engraving by Johann Elias Ridinger, depicting a horse doctor administering medicine to a sick horse. Note the prominent image of the doctor towering above, literally standing over the horse while administering medicine. Here, we observe the archetype of the healer. Think of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, whose staff entwined with a serpent symbolizes healing and renewal. Note also, the clear power dynamic: the horse is in a wooden structure; helpless, while the doctor stands tall, a tool raised high in his hand. This scene, in its stark simplicity, recalls the ancient rituals of healing, where the practitioner mediates between life and death. The gesture of healing, so poignantly rendered here, echoes through time, resonating in our collective memory and subconscious. This cyclical pattern of suffering and care is deeply embedded in the human psyche, a primal drama played out across the ages.