Paard met tuig en oogkleppen 1881 - 1883

George Hendrik Breitner sketched “Horse with Harness and Blinkers” to capture the atmosphere of the working class during a time of rapid urbanization in Amsterdam. Breitner, deeply engaged with social issues, was known for capturing the raw realities of city life. The drawing portrays a horse in its working gear, blinkers on, ready to perform. It evokes questions about labor, class, and the role of animals in an industrializing society. Breitner’s choice to focus on the working horse reflects a broader interest in the lives of those who were central to the city's economic engine, yet often remained unseen. Breitner once said he aimed to be "the people's painter." This work, with its stark and almost melancholic depiction, invites us to reflect on the social structures that define labor and life, and the emotional lives of those caught within them.