Gezicht op Krabbendijke 1786 - 1792

This is Carel Frederik Bendorp’s ‘View of Krabbendijke,’ an etching depicting a rural Dutch village. Note the prominent presence of horses. In this composition, horses are potent symbols of labor and rural life, but their representation stretches back through antiquity. Think of the steeds of the Greek gods, or the Roman equestrian statues, where the horse signifies power and control. Here, though, they are work animals. This domestication and harnessing of the horse may seem disconnected from those earlier associations with gods and emperors, yet it carries a trace, a collective memory. The image subtly evokes our complex relationship with nature—a blend of utilization, respect, and perhaps a twinge of longing for a wilder, untamed world. Even in this peaceful scene, these symbols create a quiet, emotional resonance. It suggests that deep within us, these symbols continue to speak.