Knecht mit wilden Pferden vor Stall 1888

Wilhelm Altheim made this ink drawing, "Knecht mit wilden Pferden vor Stall," which translates to "Farmhand with wild horses in front of a stable," sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century in Germany. It captures a moment of tension between man and beast, with the farmhand seemingly struggling to control the powerful, rearing horses. The image invokes a vision of rural life and the social structure of the time. Altheim probably intended to highlight the relationship between humans and animals in an agrarian society. We can see that the farmhand is overwhelmed by the horses: an interesting interpretation of the established hierarchy in which humans are supposed to have dominion over animals. To fully understand this work, a social historian might look into the role of horses in German agriculture at the time and the symbolism of the farmhand as a figure of labor and social class. By researching these areas, we gain insights into the painting’s cultural context and the complex relationship between humans, animals, and the land.