Plowing Horses
- Original dimensions
- 46 x 37 cm
- Museum
- Munch Museum
- Year
- 1929
Scene depicted
The composition of Working Horses immerses us in a majestic bucolic scene. Under a cloudy sky, two horses, symbols of power and fatigue, pull a cart over heavily plowed ground. This simple yet evocative image resonates with the ancestral labor of man and the raw beauty of nature, speaking to us of the hard work of past generations.
Historical context
Created in 1929 in Oslo, the canvas Working Horses is situated at the crossroads of expressionist art, a movement to which Edvard Munch belongs. This iconic pictorial work, currently exhibited at the Munch Museum, is set in a time rich in social and cultural transformations, marked by a quest for meaning through artistic expression. The dimensions of this painting , namely 46 x 37 cm, capture an intense intimacy in a unique and powerful composition.
Place in the artist's career
Working Horses occurs during a period of maturity in the career of Edvard Munch , where his style is affirmed by influences from expressionism . It parallels his famous painting The Scream , a landmark work of inner turmoil, and Madonna , pivots of sexuality and passion. This painting appears as a celebration of the friendly nature, echoing human struggles.
Anecdote
“In every brushstroke resides the soul of the earth, and each horse carries within it the memory of the shadows of the past.” At the dawn of a sunny morning, Edvard Munch was inspired by the gentle sound of horses plowing in a field from his youth. This reminiscence gave birth to a work vibrant with life and nostalgia, capturing the essence of the relationship between man and nature in his canvas .