Horse Head 1926

Paul Wayland Bartlett sculpted this bronze “Horse Head,” sometime between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period marked by rapid industrialization and profound social change. Bartlett, an American expatriate artist, trained in Paris, navigated the art world steeped in classical traditions. The horse, an enduring symbol of power and freedom, has been historically gendered male, representing virility and dominance. But what does it mean to capture the essence of such a loaded symbol in bronze, a material traditionally associated with monumental sculpture and public commemoration? Does Bartlett perpetuate these conventional associations, or does he offer a more nuanced perspective? Consider the implications of focusing solely on the horse’s head, severing it from its body. This act of fragmentation challenges the complete narrative, inviting us to question the values and ideals the horse traditionally embodies. It’s in these fragments, these absences, that we often find the most compelling stories.