Thoroughbred Horse Walking 1850 - 1920

This bronze sculpture of a walking thoroughbred horse was made by Edgar Degas. Here we see the horse, an animal laden with symbolism—power, freedom, and nobility. Consider the steeds of antiquity, from the warhorses of the Roman Empire to the divine horses pulling Apollo's chariot. Degas captures the horse not in heroic grandeur, but in mid-stride, a moment of poised tension. This echoes the animal's presence across cultures, from the mythic Centaurs to the steeds in Delacroix's Romantic paintings, each embodying a blend of instinct and controlled energy. Think of the horse as a 'pathos formula,' the energetic gesture carrying intense emotional weight. The controlled walk, the taut muscles, it stirs something primal within us. Perhaps a reminder of our own internal struggles between instinct and reason, freedom and restraint. The horse is not merely an animal; it's a mirror reflecting our deepest selves across the vast plains of time.