Aangespannen paard met oogkleppen 1886 - 1898

George Hendrik Breitner captured this study of a harnessed horse with charcoal on paper. The dominant feature here is the horse’s harness, particularly the blinkers, or oogkleppen. These limit the animal’s vision, focusing its attention forward. Consider the horse as a symbol— historically, it represents power and drive, yet here, it is restrained. We might recall the ancient Roman triumphal processions, where white horses pulled the chariots of victorious generals, symbols of conquest. But blinkers? They suggest control, a deliberate narrowing of perspective. Think of how the horse, once a symbol of untamed freedom, is here, forced to focus. This reflects a deep-seated tension between freedom and control. Perhaps Breitner subconsciously captures the transition from agrarian freedom to industrial focus in the burgeoning cities of his time, mirroring the psychological restrictions that modern life imposes on us all. This image is a powerful meditation on how we, too, are often guided by forces unseen, blinkered in our own ways.