Wagen met drie paarden 1884

This sketch of a three-horse carriage was rendered in pencil by George Hendrik Breitner. Consider the symbolism of the horse, a motif deeply embedded in the collective psyche. Horses have been a constant companion to humanity, representing power, freedom, and even the untamed aspects of our own nature. From the mythic steeds of the Greek gods to the warhorses of antiquity, their image transcends mere utility. Think of the winged Pegasus, a symbol of inspiration, or the four horses of the apocalypse. In Breitner's sketch, the horses are rendered with a casual familiarity, yet they still evoke something primal. The obscured details might point to an unconscious association with hidden drives, the powerful but often unseen forces that move us. Perhaps Breitner, through his rapid strokes, was capturing not just the physical presence of these animals but also the enduring echo of their symbolic weight, a weight carried through centuries of human experience.