Een jongen houdt een paard aan de toom 1800 - 1841

This etching by Joannes Bemme presents a boy holding a horse by its bridle. The horse, a symbol of power, virility, and untamed nature, has been a recurring motif in art throughout history, a testament to its enduring symbolic weight. Consider the steeds in ancient Greek sculptures, symbols of military might, and compare them to the horses in Renaissance paintings. The Dutch Golden Age loved horses, and we see them crop up again and again. The horse, once a symbol of the aristocracy and war, here stands as a farm animal. Here, the boy’s control over the animal reflects humanity's perennial attempt to harness the primal energies of nature. The image resonates with a subtle tension: the latent power of the horse versus the boy's controlling grip. This tension, etched in delicate lines, engages our subconscious, stirring primal memories of dominance, control, and the ever-present negotiation between instinct and intellect. The motif of the horse and the boy represents not just a moment in time, but a deep-seated drama played out across eras and cultures.