Fotoreproductie van een prent naar een schilderij, voorstellende een jongen met een sabel op een speelgoedpaard before 1871

This photogravure captures a boy on a toy horse, wielding a sabre. Instantly, we recognize the age-old symbol of the horse: power, virility, and, of course, conquest, harking back to antiquity, where equestrian statues glorified emperors. But here, the steed is humbled – a child’s toy, the rider a boy. Note the baton he holds aloft like a commander's staff, and the elaborate, almost comical costume. Recall, if you will, the medieval motif of the *memento mori*, where children or cherubs are depicted with symbols of mortality. The boy's martial posture is undermined by the sheer innocence of his gaze. We are reminded that even our most bellicose instincts may begin as innocent games, learned behaviors passed down through generations. It speaks to the cyclical nature of history and the enduring, often contradictory, symbols that shape our understanding of power and innocence.