Paardenromp 1835

Pieter Frederik van Os created this study of a horse's torso in the 19th century. During this period, the Dutch art world was experiencing the rise of the Romantic movement, with artists turning to both historical subjects and the natural world. Van Os, coming from a family of artists, specialized in landscape and animal paintings, reflecting the era's appreciation for pastoral life. Here we see the artist focusing solely on the body of the animal. Van Os is not giving us an individual horse in a landscape. Instead, he is exploring the very idea of 'horse'. The incomplete image is an exploration of the animal’s muscular form; there is a tension between representation and abstraction. Consider how we project qualities like strength onto horses. Think, too, about the complex history of the animal's role in human societies. This study, more than just anatomical, captures an emotional residue of our connection to these animals.