Carousel Horse c. 1939

Dorothy Handy painted this watercolor and graphite of a Carousel Horse on paper, and you can see every stroke and layer of thought. I wonder what Handy was thinking as she created this image of a horse mid-gallop? It’s got this elegant and eerie, ghostly quality. It almost feels like she built it up piece by piece, like a memory, with those muted grays and blues and just a pop of red to keep us awake. The way she’s handled the watercolour is fascinating. Thin washes build up the form, but she’s also let the graphite peek through to give it a sense of structure. I can just imagine her squinting at the original sculpture and trying to get all those details just right. It’s like she’s not just painting a horse, but trying to capture the feeling of movement, of being suspended in this dreamlike state. It reminds me that we’re all on this merry-go-round together, constantly transforming and in conversation with each other, and with those who came before us.