Robber with a Stolen Horse 

Niko Pirosmani painted ‘Robber with a Stolen Horse’ using oil on oilcloth, a material more commonly found as a cheap, durable alternative to canvas, and therefore suggestive of his impoverished background. The rough texture of the oilcloth support peeks through the paint, especially in the background, adding to the raw immediacy of the image. Pirosmani favored painting directly onto the black oilcloth without priming. He applied thin layers of paint, building up highlights and details. His limited palette of black, white, and shades of blue and brown enhances the somber mood of the scene. Pirosmani’s choice of oilcloth was not merely economical; it was integral to his artistic expression. Trained as a sign painter, Pirosmani elevated commercial art practices to the realm of fine art, challenging traditional distinctions between high and low culture. The painting depicts a nighttime scene with a mounted robber leading a stolen horse, set against a landscape under a full moon. By using an inexpensive, everyday material, Pirosmani blurred the lines between art and craft, and between the lives of the working class and the aesthetics of fine art.