Art of Horses

There are so many beautiful paintings and sculptures of horses it would be hard to imagine what art of horses brings to mind in any individual. But it does seem logical that before cameras, horses were probably painted and sculpted realistically. Not so. Often they were portrayed idealistically – more than the real horse.

Think of horses in the paintings of Delacroix – over muscled, sleek beyond belief. They are beautiful. Think of the huge statue recently produced from the directions and notes of Leonardo – a gigantic animal, with more muscle than any horse ever had. Think of the paintings of the Godolphin Arabian – so sleek, long-necked, dished face, tiny legs – it should be a portrait, but no real horse ever looked like that. But it is obviously an Arabian.

Earlier on, the art on cave walls communicates to every viewer. These so-called primitive artists knew how to express horses in motion with a few strokes of charcoal. The paintings are hardly primitive. These artists knew what they were doing.

A contemporary artist, Elizabeth Sullivan, also paints horses. Although she paints many other animals, her specialty is horses. Her whimsical paintings express the wildness of the animal in vivid colors.

Starting out painting in a more realistic style, Ms. Sullivan cut back details in her paintings year by year until in the present, she has given up detail for sweeping brush strokes that communicate what she wishes to express better than any detail.

Fascinated by wild horses and the large beautiful animals in motion, Ms. Sullivan began to leave out details in her paintings. She studied the motion of the animals, and decided what she wanted to express is the graceful and powerful motion of the large animals, with as few lines and brushstrokes as possible. Details became less and less important while color and sweeping brush strokes of the manes and tails became more important.

People who know horses understand Ms. Sullivan’s communication immediately. Although the paintings are unrealistic, even whimsical, the message comes across – the truly beautiful animals in motion. Recently Ms. Sullivan has added some southwestern and Native American details to her work, reflecting her Irish-Cherokee heritage.

You can view Ms. Sullivan’s paintings on her website www.ecsullivanart.com. Or you can see them in person and meet the artist at one of the many art shows where she exhibits, or in a gallery that carries her work (information on the website).

Want to find out more about Horses Portrayed in Art, then visit Wild Spirit Artwork’s site on how to choose the best horse paintings for your needs.