Un Brio Escondido II

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‘Un Brio Escondido II’ is one original painting in a series of four works depicting the same horse. Each 32″ x 34″ work is painted in oil on archival Mylar and ships either rolled or framed. I’ve always been deeply inspired by the strength and beauty of equines and they are one of my favorite subjects to paint. In this planned series of works, I knew I wanted to paint a chestnut horse under the title of ‘Brio Escondido’ a Spanish term which refers to the “hidden fire”, the source of a horse’s spirit. Having done some research into the thoroughbred racing industry and what happens to the masses of discarded horses that don’t win, I came across the gruesome image of a chestnut thoroughbred which had been slaughtered and fed to zoo animals. The horse’s intact head was being carried by a polar bear, clearly a young animal that had in all likelihood been perfectly healthy. The image was impactful, speaking of waste and consumption, bondage and exploitation. This series of works is an act of resurrection for me, bringing this horse back to life.