Ruiter op een paard, naar links 1775 - 1833

Jean Bernard created this delicate drawing of a rider on horseback in the late 18th or early 19th century. During this time, horses were potent symbols of power and status, deeply intertwined with aristocratic identity. This piece is compelling precisely because it disrupts those traditional representations. We see a young man, not yet hardened by battle or courtly life, almost awkwardly perched on his steed. His youthful face and slightly disheveled hair suggest a vulnerability that challenges the stoic masculinity typically associated with equestrian portraits. The horse itself is sturdy but lacks the idealized musculature often depicted in art meant to convey might and dominance. Bernard’s sketch invites us to consider alternative narratives of youth and class and what it means to come into power. In its intimacy and lack of grandeur, the artwork speaks to the complexities and perhaps even the anxieties of assuming a position of privilege.