Pissend paard 1609 - 1642

This etching, made by Pieter Bodding van Laer, captures a seemingly simple scene: a horse relieving itself, led by its handler. Yet, even in this earthy tableau, we find echoes of deeper currents. The act of urination, often deemed base, finds itself interwoven with notions of fertility, cleansing, and even abundance in various cultures. One recalls the ancient rituals where liquids were offered to the gods, embodying a life-giving force. Consider how, in the hands of artists across time, the horse itself has morphed from a symbol of brute strength to one of nobility, freedom, and unbridled passion. The horse is a recurring motif found in art from the Lascaux cave paintings to equestrian statues, representing power and movement. Here, the horse's vulnerable act strips away the animal's grandeur, grounding it in a shared, primal experience. This image, rendered with such candidness, invites us to contemplate the cyclical nature of existence: the ebb and flow between the sacred and the profane, the high and the low.