Paard naar rechts lopend 1565 - 1630

Antonio Tempesta etched "Paard naar rechts lopend," or "Horse Walking to the Right," during a time when the status and symbolism of the horse was changing in European society. During the 16th and 17th centuries, horses were essential for transportation, agriculture, and warfare. The image of the horse was closely tied to nobility and power. Tempesta, working in Italy, would have been very familiar with the classical tradition and its use of the horse as a symbol of masculine strength. Here, however, we have an image that deviates from traditional representations. The horse is captured in a moment of gentle movement, its head lowered in what appears to be a thoughtful gait. Its environment is reduced to some simple vegetation. This is a domesticated animal, but it is not depicted pulling a carriage or bearing a soldier. Perhaps Tempesta is inviting us to reconsider our relationship with these animals, moving beyond a simple representation of power and nobility to recognize its individual presence.