Kruiwagen 1782 - 1837

Pieter Bartholomeusz Barbiers sketched this "Kruiwagen," or wheelbarrow, with pen and ink. It is a simple motif, yet it resonates deeply with cultural memory, evoking the age-old human connection to labor and the land. The wheelbarrow, a humble vehicle, symbolizes toil and agrarian life. We see its echoes in ancient Egyptian tomb paintings where laborers haul materials, and in medieval tapestries depicting peasant life. This humble tool bridges vast epochs of human experience. Consider how the image of the wheelbarrow has evolved; from a symbol of backbreaking work to, more recently, a romantic emblem of rural simplicity. This transformation reflects our changing relationship with labor, colored by nostalgia and longing for a simpler past. The sight of this wheelbarrow stirs something deep within us, perhaps an inherited memory of humanity’s perennial engagement with the earth, a poignant echo of our shared history.