Landscape with Oxen 1942

This canvas, by Balthus, presents us with a scene dominated by the image of oxen laboring in a field. The oxen, beasts of burden, have long symbolized patience and strength. Their historical connection to agriculture speaks to a primal human relationship with the land. Consider the ancient Minoan bull-leaping frescoes, or even the sacred bull of ancient Egypt, Apis. The bull-like the oxen, is not merely an animal. It embodies raw power and fertility. Over time, this symbol appears, transformed, in the Christian iconography where the ox symbolizes Saint Luke. Here, the image of the oxen is not merely pastoral. It evokes a deep, subconscious connection to our agricultural roots. It whispers of the relentless cycles of nature and the enduring power of the earth. The enduring image of the oxen, harnessed to the land, echoes across millennia.