Bête de Labeur 1898

Pieter Dupont created this print, Bête de Labeur, using etching techniques. The composition is dominated by a large, muscular horse, its form taking up most of the foreground space. Look closely at how the intricate lines create texture and shadow, giving the horse a sense of mass. Consider the title, which translates to "Beast of Burden." This print isn’t just a depiction of a horse; it's a comment on labor and the working class. The horse is burdened by its gear but also by its looming presence, seeming to block the backdrop of the city and river. Dupont uses a structural approach, reducing the landscape to linear elements that frame the central figure, thus emphasizing the contrast between the natural and the industrial. The contrast between the horse and the backdrop, coupled with the sharp, linear textures, forces us to consider what is being represented and the relationship between labor and progress. This artwork is a semiotic play of signs, inviting constant re-interpretation of what we value and how we represent it.