Study of a recIIning horse 1875

This is Jan Matejko’s study of a reclining horse, painted with oils on canvas. The material itself, oil paint, is critical here. It allows for a rich, layered application, seen most clearly in the horse’s dark, almost brooding coat. You can see Matejko’s technique in the energetic brushstrokes and the way he builds up the form. The canvas is left bare in places, especially around the legs, a stark contrast that throws the weight of the horse into sharp relief. It’s important to remember that Matejko was working at a time of growing industrialization. The horse, traditionally a symbol of power and labor, was gradually being replaced by machines. This study, then, might be seen as a record of a changing world, a moment of transition captured in the materiality of paint. It reminds us that even in fine art, the echoes of labor and social change are always present.