Horse Riders 1938

Cyprián Majerník made this painting, Horse Riders, with oil on canvas. I imagine he started with some loose washes of greens and browns, and then the horses and riders emerged as he reworked the composition. I sympathize with Majerník and I wonder what it must have been like to make a painting like this during a time of such uncertainty. The palette is quite subdued, there's a prevailing mood of austerity, and the paint handling is pretty direct—no fussy details here. Look how the riders are just roughly hewn from a few strokes of paint; one even carries a spear. It almost feels like this painting is more about memory, about some kind of longing for a way of life that was coming to an end. Painting for me has always been about trying to figure things out, but it's never a fixed answer. It's a process of discovery and an embrace of ambiguity, much like life itself. We’re all in an ongoing conversation, learning from one another.