Hestene E & G 1822

Christian David Gebauer rendered this image of two horses with pen and watercolor. Immediately, we see the horse, an age-old symbol of vitality and virility. Since antiquity, the horse has represented power, freedom, and nobility. The Greeks associated them with Poseidon and war, while in ancient China, they were emblems of speed and perseverance. Notice the mark on one of the horse’s haunches. The branding could represent ownership but also protection, like the apotropaic symbols of antiquity meant to ward off evil. Think back to the Paleolithic cave paintings where horses gallop across cave walls. Here, Gebauer's horses evoke a sense of primal energy. They connect us to the ancient, instinctual relationship between humans and animals that still lives in our collective memory. These images are not just representations; they tap into our deepest emotions, echoing the perennial human fascination with the raw power and untamed spirit of the natural world.