Landschap met een gezadeld paard, van opzij gezien 1841 - 1853

This is a landscape with a saddled horse, seen from the side, made with pen in brown by Johannes Tavenraat. Tavenraat, who lived through much of the 19th century, invites us to consider the relationships between humans, animals, and the land. The image of the saddled horse is more than just a depiction of rural life; it reflects the social structures of the time, where horses were often symbols of wealth and power. What does it mean to saddle a horse? What does it mean to be a beast of burden? This drawing makes visible the labor and the lives of animals so often overlooked. Tavenraat challenges us to consider the lives of those, animal and human, who work within a landscape. The horse stands, burdened and still, in a landscape we can barely see.