Hesten "Gentle Kitty" 1795

Meno Haas produced this print, "Hesten "Gentle Kitty," in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. It's an image that reflects the growing importance of animal husbandry and scientific agriculture at the time. This print belongs to a tradition of animal portraiture, developed alongside the rise of agricultural societies and horse racing in countries like England and Denmark. The cultural references here suggest a shift toward valuing specific breeds and bloodlines, a phenomenon linked to both aristocratic leisure and nascent capitalist economics. The very act of portraying the horse in such detail elevates its status, aligning it with other forms of valued property. To truly understand this work, one would need to delve into agricultural journals, studbooks, and even the records of royal stables. By doing so, the social conditions and institutions that shaped its production and reception are revealed. Art like this serves not merely as a depiction but as a document of its time.