Victorious Return 1944 - 1945

Cyprián Majerník made this gouache painting, "Victorious Return," with earthy browns, greens, and yellows. It’s a scene of riders on horseback, rendered with simple, gestural marks. I can imagine Majerník, in his studio, layering these colours, trying to capture a sense of movement and solemnity. The paint is applied thinly, almost like a watercolor, which gives it a translucent quality. See how the figures on horseback emerge from the background? They are silhouetted, the riders stoic. I wonder if Majerník was thinking about earlier painters who depicted military victory. His own experiences must have been very different. This feels like a nod to history but with a contemporary, almost melancholic feel. The people on the left and right aren’t celebrating, exactly, they are watching. The brushstrokes are quick and confident, as if he wanted to capture a fleeting moment. Painting is like that, an ongoing conversation across time.