Paard met twee geiten en herder met twee stieren 1828 - 1829

This print by Joseph Louis Leborne presents a pastoral scene where animals take center stage. Horses, goats, and bulls populate the composition, emblems of rural life and nature's bounty. The most striking motif here is the tethered bull, guided by a herdsman, a tableau that harkens back to ancient Minoan bull-leaping rituals. The image of the bull, powerful yet subservient, appears throughout history, from the myth of Europa to Picasso's Guernica. These depictions embody not only brute strength but also vulnerability, their symbolism evolving over time and taking on layers of meaning. It is this cyclical return of symbols that fascinates me, the way cultural memory operates, reshaping and reinterpreting the past in the present. This print is not just a depiction of animals; it's a psychological landscape, inviting us to reflect on our relationship with nature.