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Horse paintings. Hippic genre
Horses have repeatedly become part of scenic compositions. Paintings of horses by famous artists have been created in different genres:
- Landscape (I. Levitan "March").
- Battle (P. Rubens "Battle of Angiari").
- Historical (V. Vasnetsov "Bogatyri").
- Household (N. Sverchkov "Skating children").
- Portrait (K. Brüllov "Horsewoman").
In the 18 century in the fine arts stood out the genre, which was called "hippic" (from the word hippos – horse). Horsemen (breeders) were the clients of portraits of thoroughbred stallions. Images played the role of peculiar documents, so the drawings were made as accurately as possible while adhering to anatomical proportions. The authors chose the basic angles for the animals - standing, on the move, on their feet.
Depending on the plot, there are varieties:
- Portrait.
- Sports competitions (races).
The symbolic meaning of a horse in art
Migrating from culture to culture, the image of a horse partially lost its former meanings and acquired new ones. Art historians believe that their practical importance was a huge influence on our attitude to these animals. The horse followed man everywhere: on wheat fields, on distant tracts and on battlefields. The horse’s body at the level of sensations is perceived as a living embodiment of wild power and grace at the same time. We must not forget that the horse is a highly developed creature with whom a person often has an emotional relationship.
In ancient Egypt, the horse was a symbol of wealth and power. Pharaoh on a chariot drawn by three pairs of horses was one of the most popular images of the ruler on the walls of tombs. In ancient Greece and Rome, the horse was a symbol of fertility, continuity of life and speed. The winged horses, according to the ancient Greeks, could visit Olympus.
In later times, the white horse (in other versions of the unicorn) becomes a symbol of purity, and the dark horse appears in fairy tales and legends of evil spirits. Perhaps the most complete picture of the richness and depth of the symbolism of the image of a horse can be gleaned by studying medieval heraldry. Here, the horse acts as a carrier of several qualities that are inherent in different animals: the insight of the eagle, the strength of the wolf, the courage of a lion, the agility of a fox and the speed of a deer. In addition, the horse was a faithful companion of the knight on the battlefield and was associated in European consciousness with valor and honor. All this predetermined the appearance and prospects of the development of the hippic genre in European art.
Paintings with horses of masters from Europe and Ukraine
Masters of the hippic genre are recognized by: E. Lansere, P. Klodt, V. Velt, N. Sverchkov. The classic artworks are the painting of the famous artist from Kharkiv Mykola Karazin ("Kyrgyz near the dead horse"), the artist from Kherson region Peter Pokarzhevskii ("Rest"). The paintings of the Ukrainian artist Mykola Samokysh "Herd of trotter queens", "Thursday on the turn", battle paintings with fighting horses have gained worldwide popularity.
The main features of the hippic painting genre: photographic accuracy, linear placement, dynamic, color saturation. In the 20th century with the submission of F. Mark ("Blue horse tower") and K. Petrov-Vodkin ("Red horse bathing"), the animals have become a symbolic image. The color value of the image was acquired.
Hippic themes are presented also by contemporary and emerging Ukrainian artists. In the classical style, horses oil paintings belonging to the paintbrush of painter from Odessa Yulia Lychagina are executed: galloping varieties of horses in dawn rays of the sun, romantic canvases with two black, chestnut, bay and white horses. The artist from Kyiv Viktor Mykytenko refers often to this genre of animalism. Mostly they are portraits of horses, stallions with watercolor foals in the wild, competing horses with riders in polo and racing with carts.
The figure of the horse has a central place on the canvases of Anatoly Kryvolap "Horse. Evening" (2012, abstract red horse on a red background by oil and acrylic paints) and "Horse. Night" (2009, oil paints, canvas). They were sold at the Phillips auction for record highs for Ukraine of $ 124,000 and $ 186,000.
The demand for the subject is confirmed by deals at international auctions. At the London auction of Sotheby's "Grazing Horses III" by Franz Mark sold for 12.3 million pounds.
The main value of horse paintings is in the versatility and variety of subjects. In terms of design, the canvases fit perfectly into the interior of the living room, study, bedroom. Paintings with horses according to Feng Shui symbolize greatness, courage, endurance.