Rire jaune 1976

This image titled "Rire Jaune" was rendered in 1976 by Alexander Calder. What strikes one immediately is the raw depiction of three horses, each imbued with a distinct, almost caricatured, emotional state. The horse, a symbol of vitality and strength, is here portrayed with an unsettling grin. It is reminiscent of the archaic smile found in ancient Greek sculpture, suggesting an attempt to transcend mortal suffering. Note the garish palette: the bright yellow of one horse evokes a sense of forced gaiety, a mask concealing deeper anxieties. The equine form itself has been a recurring motif, from the steeds of Apollo pulling the sun chariot to the Trojan Horse. Here, though, Calder presents us not with noble steeds but with creatures bearing an uncanny resemblance to the nightmares of childhood. The forced grin, repeated across each animal, becomes a modern echo of man's eternal struggle with internal conflict, now rendered with a sense of playful unease.