Paarden met gareeltuig 1884 - 1886

This pencil drawing by George Hendrik Breitner captures horses with their gear. The horse, a recurring motif throughout art history, appears here laden with the symbols of its labor. Consider the harness, a device that has evolved from simple straps to complex systems of control. In antiquity, the horse symbolized power and status, harnessed for war and conquest. Over time, the symbolism of the harnessed horse shifted to signify the industrial age. The sight of a horse evokes powerful emotions and subconscious associations related to labour, and the changing of social structures. Breitner’s sketch pulls these collective memories to the surface. The image of the horse continues to evolve, appearing in contemporary contexts as a symbol of freedom or a nostalgic connection to the past, its cultural memory woven into the fabric of our collective consciousness.