A Man and a Woman on Horseback 1653 - 1654

Philips Wouwerman's "A Man and a Woman on Horseback" captures a genre scene with figures and animals depicted in oil on canvas. Here, the horse takes center stage, evoking a sense of nobility. This motif has traversed eras. Think of the equestrian statues of Roman emperors—symbols of power. Yet, here, the horse appears in a domestic setting, reflecting a shift toward more secular and everyday representations of the subject. The horse transcends being merely an animal. It becomes a vessel for projecting human desires and emotions, a phenomenon that extends from ancient myths to modern equestrian sports. The painting invites us to contemplate how cultural symbols evolve, echoing through our collective memory and subconscious.