Untitled (Portrait of a Standing Man with a Steer) 1849 - 1856

This photograph, taken by Montgomery Simons, presents us with a standing man and a steer. The steer, a symbol of power and virility since antiquity, often appeared in ancient Minoan bull-leaping rituals and as the Cretan Bull subdued by Hercules. Here, the steer stands calmly, bearing no traces of its earlier mythological roles. Yet, the echo of these symbols persists. The steer's presence in the photograph may evoke a sense of strength and agrarian prosperity but it also carries a subdued, almost domesticated energy. The man's relationship to the animal suggests a degree of control, yet it lacks the overt dominance we might see in classical depictions. Instead, a quiet cooperation pervades, hinting at the complex interplay between man and nature, power and submission, that continues to resonate through the ages. The symbolic journey of the bull, from divine power to agricultural asset, reflects humanity’s evolving relationship with the natural world.