With the Grand National on today we thought we would give you our top equine inspired artworks from past and present.
First up is Whistlejacket 2015 by Nick Smith. Based on George Stubbs painting of the race horse Whistlejacket each of the 1450 individual colour blocks that make up the image are named after a different race horse many grand national winners and runners. An incredible image of an incredible animal.
Next is Picassos Cheval a beautiful silkscreen print of a horse on heavy weight paper of one of Picasso’s line drawings of animals. His single line drawings are so simple but at the same time so powerful, as they create so much meaning from one single unbroken line. Picasso loved animals and kept a huge variety over his life-time, many of which appeared in his work, and particularly in his line drawings.
Vichy- Horseshow is a great collection of riders bought together by Pop art icon sir Peter Blake. Chaucer’s pilgrims ride alongside medieval knights cowboys and English gentlemen in this eclectic collage horse show. A beautiful silkscreen print with glazes signed and numbered by Peter Blake.
Horse racing was one of Sybil Andrews’s favourite themes and this her most popular. She captured the excitement and movement of the horses as they approach and clear the hedge. She also crated images of the spectators in wet race meeting.
Lyrical by Wassily Kandinsky captures the movement of horse and man together in a beautiful expression of the experience of riding. Kandinsky sought a synthesis of the arts, in which meaning was created through the interaction of, and space between, text and image, sound and meaning, mark and blank space.
The horses in Eric Ravilious’s works tend to be cut out of the hillside in chalk but they are no less majestic. There is also a horse on his Saddlers and Harness makers in his high street series.
The Only Thing I'm Sure Of Is That I'm Sure Of Nothing and It Is My Heartfelt Desire To Improve But I Never Do by Charming Baker are two detailed silkscreens featuring horses heads.
This fun piece from Magda Archer kitsch master features a fun and frisky pony with the text ‘Hormonal and Lovin It’.
Borrowed Freedom by Marion McConaghie shows the freedom and sprit of the horse through her use of loose and sketchy strokes with careful fine lines creating a delicate yet energetic work.
Heather J Ferguson is an artist who specialises in Equestrian themed art MELODIC MELODY is a striking giclee print that really captures the power and muscle of the race horses physique.
