Horse 1943

This ink painting of a horse was made by Xu Beihong, who was born in China in the late 19th century. I can imagine him poised with his brush, the hairs just so, ready to make marks of controlled chaos. The painting is all inky blacks and shades of grey, yet it feels full of movement and emotion. Look at the way Beihong captures the horse's energy with just a few strokes! The brushwork seems so sure and spontaneous, but I bet it took a lot of practice to get there. I wonder what was on Beihong's mind as he painted, what was he trying to capture beyond just the look of a horse? There's something wild and free in this painting, something that reminds me of early Abstract Expressionism. It’s the kind of painting that makes you want to grab a brush and try to do the same. Beihong’s horse reminds us of the enduring power of painting and the ongoing dialogue between artists across time and cultures. It is an embodied expression that embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations.