Three Horses 18th-19th century

Editor: This is Nicholas Pocock's "Three Horses", a drawing at the Harvard Art Museums. The monochrome palette gives it a sort of antique feel, and I'm curious about the artist's choice of materials. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Let's consider the social context of horse imagery during Pocock’s time. Were horses associated with leisure, labor, or wealth? And how does the artist's choice of drawing—a seemingly less prestigious medium than oil paint—affect the reading of the subject matter? Editor: That's a great point; the medium does feel less "aristocratic" somehow. It makes me wonder about Pocock's intended audience. Curator: Precisely. The piece pushes us to reconsider how artistic value is often assigned.