Gewond paard wordt door wolven belaagd bij een achtergelaten kanon 1847 - 1909

Edgar Alfred Baes etched this disquieting scene of a wounded horse beset by wolves, leaving behind a cannon in the snow. Here, the horse—traditionally a symbol of nobility and strength—is rendered vulnerable, embodying a poignant contrast. This motif resonates with depictions of the Fall of Man, where idealized forms are confronted with decay. The image reminds me of how such symbols recur across epochs. For instance, the horse, once a proud emblem, appears again and again in art history as a symbol of broken glory. Think of the pale horse of the Apocalypse, signifying death and desolation. The stark imagery evokes primal fears of abandonment and predation—fears that lurk deep within our collective consciousness. It engages us on a visceral level, tapping into profound psychological anxieties. These symbols are not static; they evolve, resurface, and gain new layers of meaning, eternally weaving through our cultural fabric.