De to heste; Møllehesten 1845

"De to heste; Møllehesten," or "The Two Horses; The Mill Horse," was made by Adolph Kittendorff, and we can see the traces of the artist's hand through the material quality of the print. The image is simple: two horses standing in a field on the left, and one in the stable on the right. The printmaking technique used would have allowed for quick reproduction, bringing images of the Danish countryside to a wide audience. Note how the thin lines create a sense of depth and volume, achieved through careful control of the etching process. The image celebrates the rural labor of horses, and the composition invites us to consider the relationship between animals and labor. The print’s texture, weight, and the linear forms give us a sense of the artist's labor, and also the animal's labor, in a way that is accessible and intimate. This work exemplifies how art can connect us to broader social and economic realities of the nineteenth century.