Paardenhoofd met hoofdstel met oogkleppen 1815 - 1860

Abraham Hendrik Winter created this etching of a horse's head with bridle and blinkers sometime in the first half of the 19th century. The image speaks to a particular social context, one in which the horse was a crucial tool of labor, transportation, and military power. The print medium made the image of the horse accessible to a wide audience. Horses were a common sight in the Netherlands, yet this print elevates the animal to a subject worthy of artistic attention. We might consider this image within the context of the Dutch landscape tradition, one in which the animal is a constant presence. The blinkers shown here remind us of the limitations placed on animals in service to human aims. To fully understand this etching, we would need to delve deeper into Winter's artistic influences and the social role of horses in 19th-century Netherlands.