Op een bospad trekt een paard een boom uit een plas, onder aanvoering van een viertal mannen 1781

Gerard van Nijmegen rendered this drawing of a horse pulling a tree from a pond with pen in brown ink and brush in brown and gray in the 18th century. Here we witness a struggle between the natural world and human intervention. The uprooted tree, a symbol of nature's resilience, is being forcefully removed from its environment, hinting at a disruption of the natural order. The men, with their determined postures, embody human agency and their efforts to dominate the environment. We see a similar struggle depicted in ancient mythologies, like Hercules' labors or the epic of Gilgamesh. The theme of man versus nature is not new; it is a recurring motif throughout art history, reflective of our complex and evolving relationship with the environment. The image, tapping into the collective memory of this struggle, engages the viewer on a profound level. The cyclical progression of this motif is evident: from ancient myths to modern depictions of environmental exploitation, and finally to a reflection on our own place within the grand tapestry of existence.