Horses 1899

Karoly Ferenczy’s “Horses” captures a fleeting moment of rural life through the lens of impressionism. Ferenczy painted in Hungary during a time of great social change. The old ways of life were starting to be challenged by industrialization and the rise of cities. Ferenczy, from a family of Jewish origins, converted to Lutheranism as a young man, which situates him in a complex relationship to questions of identity and belonging. Ferenczy captures the movement of the animals and the stillness of the landscape, which emphasizes a sensitivity to the changing rhythms of Hungarian rural life. The presence of the rider atop one of the horses speaks to the relationship between people and animals, labor, and the land. There is an emotional connection to the scenes of labor and leisure that he depicts. Ferenczy’s “Horses” encourages us to consider the artist's emotional and personal connection to the landscape and the cultural values associated with the Hungarian countryside at the turn of the century.