Ein Bauer führt ein gesatteltes Pferd entlang eines Gewässers 

Curator: Welcome! Before us is a pencil drawing from the 19th century, currently residing here at the Städel Museum. The piece, by Philipp Stricker, is entitled "Ein Bauer führt ein gesatteltes Pferd entlang eines Gewässers" or, "A Farmer Leads a Saddled Horse Along a Body of Water." Editor: My first impression is just how incredibly…bleak it feels. Sparse, almost desolate. Despite all the figures, that farmer especially, the overall atmosphere is undeniably melancholic. Is that just me? Curator: Not at all! Consider the horse, saddled but unridden. It's a common symbol of suppressed power, of potential waiting to be unleashed. Coupled with the farmer leading instead of riding, we see a kind of stalled journey, a life perhaps, not fully realized. And it is certainly not by chance that both man and animal look away from us, turned towards some undefined point in the distance. Editor: Huh, interesting! I hadn't thought about the “suppressed power” thing. I guess I just saw a really tired dude walking a really tired horse, wondering if they will ever actually *go* anywhere. Like the destination doesn’t even matter, you know? It's the trudging along that's the actual story. Curator: Indeed! And beyond that individual narrative, think about the genre scenes of the 19th century, the glorification of rural life that so often omits the hardship, the lack of agency for the people actually *in* that life. Stricker seems to hint at that disconnect, to puncture the illusion. Editor: Oof, yeah. Okay, I’m picking up what you're throwing down now! Plus the whole “body of water” detail in the title… Bodies of water almost always feel like crossings, or thresholds in art. Like this farmer and his horse are just permanently caught between destinations. I am sad now! Curator: Precisely! The drawing, ostensibly simple, layers multiple narratives. This image speaks to enduring cultural tensions about labour, class, and potential. Editor: I came here expecting some chill horsey art and left contemplating my entire life! Excellent!