Getty Museum
Horse
Creator
Dame Elisabeth FrinkBritish Artist · 1930–1993
All works by this person →> I think that what I'm doing is trying to set up a kind of encounter with the spectator, a dialogue between my sculptures and the public. People have to add part of themselves to make it work; they have to look into it as well as at it. > > --Elisabeth Frink > > Elisabeth Frink's primary subjects are basic and familiar--men, dogs, horses, and birds. Frink reduced these forms to their essence, imb
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- 1980
- Medium
- Bronze
- Culture
- British
- Department
- Sculpture
- Institution
- Getty Museum
This life-size horse conveys the strength, speed, and vitality of a racehorse. Robust, rounded joints compliment its solid, muscular body. With its long neck extended, head turned to one side, its ears pointed forward, and confident stride, the animal appears alert to its surroundings. But the marked divots, incisions and striations covering the form's surface remind the viewer that this impressive horse is cast in heavy bronze. Elisabeth Frink's affection for horses stemmed from her country childhood in Sussex, England. Her father was a skilled horseman and an amateur jockey, which added to an enthusiasm that continued throughout her life. But it was only when she moved to France in the late 1960s that Frink began creating sculptures of horses. She would continue to explore this subject for many years often representing a horse and male rider. This sculpture was made from a plaster cast created in 1980. The form was originally commissioned for a Sussex racecourse. Frink claimed that her sculptures of horses were about "the ancient spirit of the horse and its evolution in relation to man."
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