The artistic undertaking
Several bodies must occupy a convincing shared space. The light coat requires subtle tonal changes; the dark coat must preserve volume within shadow. Necks, legs and overlapping forms need to remain clear without hard outlines separating the animals from their surroundings.
The guild’s optical method gives the composition a common basis in gradually developed light. Stone, mane, coat and dry vegetation each call for a different treatment within that continuous space.
Look closely
Follow the light along the neck of the horse in the foreground.
Examine the volume of the dark horse and the placement of its legs.
Look towards the head beside the arch and the depth behind the animals.
The work and its value
The work’s individual value lies in its original composition, the coordinated modelling of several animals and the sensitivity required to describe contrasting coats in one light. Its quiet atmosphere invites repeated looking: relationships between the figures become clearer as the eye moves through the image.
Created by the guild under the artistic direction of Leonid Lukin, with the master’s final artistic review.