Staande stier, naar rechts 1775 - 1833

Jean Bernard’s ‘Standing Bull, Facing Right’, now at the Rijksmuseum, captures a seemingly simple subject with watercolor, yet the bull carries the weight of millennia. Throughout cultures, from ancient Crete to the myths of Zeus and Europa, the bull embodies raw power, fertility, and aggression. Consider the Cretan bull, a symbol of untamed force, or the bull sacrifices in Mithraic rituals, signifying renewal and strength. Even the posture of Bernard’s bull—standing firm, head raised—echoes this timeless association with virility and dominance. One cannot ignore the image's deep roots in our collective consciousness. This image, charged with primal energies, taps into our subconscious understanding of nature's force, reminding us that symbols are never static but constantly reinterpreted.