Aderlaten van een paard 1708 - 1767

Editor: This is “Aderlaten van een paard” (Bloodletting a Horse), an engraving made sometime between 1708 and 1767 by Johann Elias Ridinger, currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. It’s a busy scene depicting what appears to be a medical procedure on several horses. I'm struck by the somewhat nonchalant way the figures seem to be approaching this act. How do you interpret this work within its historical context? Curator: The visual nonchalance, as you call it, is indeed striking. It speaks volumes about the power dynamics at play. Bloodletting, while a common medical practice for both humans and animals at the time, was also a demonstration of human control over the natural world. Editor: Control how so? Curator: Consider the social hierarchy embedded within this image. The figures performing the bloodletting are likely common laborers, while the people on horseback seem of a higher social rank. This suggests a stratified society where even medical practices reinforce existing power structures, doesn't it? It's not merely about healing the animal, but also about solidifying the owner’s status. The well-being of the horse is inextricably tied to the wealth and status of its owner. We must consider too the role of animals throughout history; this work serves as a case-study of how their very bodies have been tools of oppression, symbols of subjugation. Does this reading affect your perception of the work? Editor: It does! I was focused on the literal action, the bloodletting itself, but now I see it as part of a larger narrative of control. Thanks to your insights I understand more of the image’s deeper meaning! Curator: And I appreciate your careful looking! Thinking about works such as these forces us to critically examine humanity's ongoing relationship with the animal kingdom.