Ruiters op het slagveld 1624

Claude Mellan created this print, "Ruiters op het slagveld," using burin around the 17th century, now held at the Rijksmuseum. The tumultuous scene of a battlefield is filled with symbols of conflict and power, the most prominent being the horse. Since antiquity, the horse has symbolized power, virility, and nobility, think of equestrian statues of emperors, and military leaders on horseback—a tradition resonating through time. In Mellan’s rendering, however, we see fallen horses, a stark contrast to their glorified counterparts in triumphal art. The overturned horse, a motif we might recall from Leonardo’s "Battle of Anghiari", speaks to the chaos and brute reality of war, a primal scream of destruction. This echoes a deeper, subconscious understanding of conflict, engaging viewers on an emotional level far beyond mere historical representation. The image taps into collective memories of war and struggle, reminding us that symbols evolve, carrying the weight of history while adapting to new emotional and cultural landscapes.