A mule 

Johann Nepomuk Rauch painted this mule with oil on paper. It may seem like a traditional painting at first glance, but consider the materials and the subject. The swift brushstrokes and earthy palette bring the animal to life, a life of labor. You can almost feel the weight it carries. Rauch’s technique, while refined, doesn't shy away from depicting the mule's reality. The harness, rendered with precise detail, speaks of work, burden, and the animal's place in the social hierarchy. The mule, a hybrid animal, becomes a symbol of the working class itself - a beast of burden, born of necessity. By focusing on the materiality and labor, we see that Rauch's work transcends the boundaries of fine art, inviting us to reflect on the lives and conditions of working animals.