Ruiter laat zijn paard naar achter lopen 1669 - 1717

This etching, by Dirk Maas, captures a horse and rider with a striking, if peculiar, gesture. The horse, in defiance of its nature, moves backward. This backward motion, though seemingly simple, is rich in cultural and psychological undertones. In many cultures, the horse symbolizes forward momentum, power, and virility. The image of a horse moving backward then might represent regression, a return to the past, or even a kind of resistance. Consider the medieval emblem of a crab walking backward, a symbol of heresy or deviation from the righteous path. Similarly, the backward-moving horse might speak to subconscious anxieties about progress, or a fear of losing control. This image engages our subconscious, reminding us that progress is not always linear; we must sometimes look back to understand our present.