Untitled (Heralds) 1938

Emiliano Di Cavalcanti made this painting called ‘Untitled (Heralds)’ in 1939, using oil on canvas. The colours are muted, earthen, yet grounded by flashes of bright pigment that carry the eye around the canvas. You can tell the artist built up the image slowly, like a puzzle coming together. The paint is matte, almost chalky. Notice how Di Cavalcanti hasn't tried to hide the seams between one colour and the next. Everything is clearly defined by its outline; form is rendered through a simplified tonal palette. The brushwork is direct and unpretentious, but look closely at the horse’s hooves on the lower left. The artist has blended the colours wet-on-wet, creating a shadow effect that gives the animal volume and weight. The herald's trumpet calls to mind similar instruments played by figures in works by Fernand Léger, another artist interested in the relationship between the modern world and classical forms. What do you think these riders are heralding? Perhaps it's up to us to decide.