I saw this painting in an exhibition at the National Gallery in London entitled 'Delacroix and the rise of modern art'. There was a treasure trove of paintings full of passion and evidence of the power of a great painter to influence those that follow. In this image Degas has built on two areas of Delacroix's work: his fascination with horses and his use of stories from the classical past as a starting point for an image. However the story is, for me, not nearly as important as the painting. The colour is somehow like a mixture of tempera as fresco and pastels on paper. It is clearly still a work in progress but that enhances the strange combination of action and stillness. The colours are a wonderful mix of cool and warmth and the pose of the young man, so off balance and framed by his pale blue cloak reminds me of David about to slay Goliath or an angel about to set off for earth with a great commission. "The catalogue of the exhibition has articles to go with the reproductions of an extraordinary collection of art. I made my own collection phrases that seem important. "His journal - very act of writing would enliven his imagination and safeguard his memory. Passionately in love with passion and coldly determined to seek means of expressing it in the most visible way" "Subjects from literature to be stimulants or vehicles for reinterpretation, not primarily expository in nature" "Primacy of memory and imagination for visual arts" Degas-" it is fine to copy what you see but much better to draw what you cant see any more but is in our memory. Imagination and memory work together and you only reproduce what struck you, that is to say the necessary If you want a subject - the subject is yourself, your impressions and emotions before nature. you must look within yourself and not around yourself." The Story of Bucephalus (355 BC – 326 BC) Bucephalus (bu-ceph-a-lus) was the famous and well-loved stallion of Alexander the Great whose breeding was said to have been of the “best Thessalian strain” from the renowned stallion-breeding region of Thessaly, Greece. The horse was reported to have been a massive creature with a massive head (Bucephalus means “Ox-Head” in Ancient Greek), and is described as having a black coat with a large white star on his brow. Legend tells that a 12-year old Alexander won the horse, Bucephalus, in a wager with his father, Philip II of Macedon. A horse dealer offered the horse to Alexander’s father for an enormous sum, but the animal appeared to be unstable and could not be tamed. Since no one could temper the animal, Philip wasn't interested, but Alexander promised to pay for the horse should he fail to tame it. Alexander was allowed to try and surprised everyone by subduing the steed. Alexander spoke soothingly and turned the horse away from the imposing sun so that it didn't see the shadow that seemed to distress it, and so tamed the horse. Alexander named his prize stallion Bucephalus and rode him for nearly two decades and through numerous battles to create his mighty empire. Bucephalus died of battle wounds in 326BC in Alexander's last battle. Alexander founded the city of Bucephala (thought to be the modern town of Jhelum, Pakistan) in memory of his wonderful horse. (found on the Black Stallion Winery website - they have a wine called Bucephalus)
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