Skewbald Mare 2004

Lucian Freud made this painting of a piebald mare, using oil on canvas, with strokes that feel both studied and spontaneous. The paint is lush; you can almost feel the bristly energy of the brush as it met the canvas. I imagine Freud, scrutinizing every muscle and contour of the horse, trying to capture its weight and presence, but also its unique personality. The brushstrokes around the rump are particularly evocative, swirling with creamy whites and warm browns, each dab of paint working to define the animal’s form. It reminds me of other artists who were obsessed with the physical world, like Courbet, who saw painting as a way to wrestle with reality. There’s a similar tension here, between observation and invention. It’s this conversation between artists across time, always pushing and challenging each other, that keeps painting alive and relevant.