Farmer with Horses Span, Marie Colombier 

James Ensor sketched "Farmer with Horses Span, Marie Colombier" with pencil. Here, the horses pulling a load symbolize labor, a motif we see echoing through time, from ancient Roman friezes to Millet's depictions of rural life. The farmer, almost shrouded, evokes a timeless connection to the land, a theme rooted deeply in our collective memory. Now, consider the woman's portrait below. Her gaze, averted yet intense, is a mirror to the viewer's own introspection. The contrast between the working scene above and the contemplative portrait below stirs a powerful psychological tension. This juxtaposition reflects the duality of human existence – the external world of labor versus the internal world of thought and emotion. The motif of horses pulling evokes both brute strength and harnessed energy. It is a powerful image that resonates through history, continually reappearing and evolving.