More Creative Differences

The legends and cultural history of people around the world include the horse - in fact, the image of this strong beast has captured the imagination of artists for centuries.
Although the subject is the same, the feelings surrounding the following works of art (created over a period of 15,000 years) are all very different.

(You may click on the following examples to see larger versions.)

Cave Painting Horse c. 15,000-10,000 BC Lascaux, France This horse was painted 17,000 years ago, using animal fat and earth. The importance of the horse to hunters in prehistoric times, is evidenced by drawings such as this one.

George Stubbs (1724-1806) Mares And Foals In A Wooden Landscape George Stubbs was a British artist who loved animals… particularly horses. His image of "Mares and Foals in a wooden landscape" has a quiet beauty.

Franz Marc Blue Horse I (Blaues Pferd I) 1911 Oil on canvas Stadtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich German expressionist Franz Marc (1880-1916) often used horses in his art. This work, painted in 1911, has an almost magical or ethereal feeling surrounding it.

Leonardo Da Vinci Rearing Horse c. 1483-1498 Red chalk 7 1/8" x 5 5/8" Windsor Castle, the Royal Library Renaissance man Da Vinci created this red chalk drawing in the late 1400s. It is clearly an anatomically correct rendering of a large and strong animal.

What the viewer ultimately takes from a work of art is highly personal. When I look at any of the horse images above, something will jump out at me and it probably isn't the same thing that jumps out at you. It is for this reason that whether or not a work of art is of value to society - whether or not a work of art tells a relevant story - depends a great deal upon your personal point of view. This is especially true in contemporary art where subject and story are sometimes rather difficult to decipher.

Which brings us to the assignment for this lesson …