Landschap met reizend gezelschap en urinerend paard 1757 - 1814

Michel Picquenot created this print, "Landscape with Traveling Company and Urinating Horse", in France during the late 18th or early 19th century. It depicts a roadside scene with a mounted rider gesturing towards a group of resting travelers, while a horse nonchalantly urinates nearby. The print offers a glimpse into the social realities of travel during this period. Roadside stops were common, and the mixing of social classes on the road was a regular occurrence. Picquenot’s inclusion of the urinating horse introduces a note of the everyday, challenging the conventions of idealized landscape. In its own subtle way, the image is quietly subversive. Artists like Picquenot played a crucial role in shaping public perceptions through imagery. Historical research, delving into travel conditions and social hierarchies of the time, helps us fully appreciate the print's commentary on the social structures of its day. Art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.