Peasant on Horseback c. 18th century

Curator: This is "Peasant on Horseback," an etching by Ferdinand Kobell, who lived from 1740 to 1799. It's part of the collection at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: I see a landscape that feels both wild and cultivated. It’s as though I can hear the rustling leaves and the horse's hooves on the path. Curator: Indeed. Kobell was working in a period where the romanticized view of rural life often glossed over the realities of peasant existence, so seeing a lone figure like this raises questions about labor, land ownership, and social hierarchy. Editor: You know, there’s something almost dreamlike about the quality of the lines in this landscape. It makes me think about our own relationship with the land, too. Curator: The print medium allowed for broader distribution of these images, shaping perceptions of rural life and reinforcing specific social narratives. Editor: It gives me a pause. The world felt simpler then, but maybe it never really was. Curator: Exactly. Kobell's image invites us to consider those complexities. Editor: A lovely, complicated view.