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Lot Essay
Standing almost a metre and a half high, Barry Flanagan’s Field Day 1 (Kouros Horse) perfectly captures the symbolism of the horse throughout the art historical canon. In his quintessential whimsical style usually reserved for his animated sculptures of hares, here Flanagan depicts the eternal symbol of power, gallantry and elegance in all its majestic, life-size beauty.
Flanagan’s Field Day series included a number of etchings and linocuts culminating in the creation of the monumental bronzes Field Day 1 in 1986, and Field Day 2 the following year. Flanagan explained his necessity to ascribe an identity to these horses and root them in the concrete: the name Field Day is 'reminiscent of racing and one can have a field day in the sense of an enjoyable event. Calling it Field Day was like naming the horse'. Furthermore, Field Day 1 is also known as Kouros Horse, Kouros referring to Ancient Greek sculptures depicting a youthful male figure. By juxtaposing the idea of a young man with the image of a horse, Flanagan reinforces the concepts of equine beauty and virility. The sister piece, Field Day 2 bears the name Kore (a youthful female in Ancient Greek statuary).
Flanagan’s desire to depict the horse in sculptural form for the first time came as a result of a visit to the Horse of San Marco exhibition at the Royal Academy, London, in 1979. Here, Flanagan was struck by the ancient figures on view, especially the four gilded bronze horses, the Triumphal Quadriga - the group of four bronze horses at St Mark's Basilica. He felt that the great age of these sculptures perfectly demonstrated the ancient relationship between man and horse, and he was inspired to create something with a similar elegance, producing Unicorn and Bronze Horse in 1982 and 1983 respectively. Both of these works achieved the grace illustrated by the Triumphal Quadriga and included a similar stance with the raised front hoof.
The Field Day horses were the first time that Flanagan had mixed his distinctive style with ideas from the Triumphal Quadriga, still incorporating the raised hoof for both sculptures. The emphasised curve of the horseback and the sinuous nature of the legs are the features in which Flanagan’s style is most profound, creating a similar form to his hares.
Flanagan’s aim to present the horse at its most majestic is attained through the horse’s slender frame and raised neck, creating a sense of nobility and power. The raised leg mirrors the classical format of the imposing horses from the Triumphal Quadriga, giving the horse a timeless elegance and recalling the long history of the use of this stance in the sculpture of antiquity.
Flanagan’s Field Day series included a number of etchings and linocuts culminating in the creation of the monumental bronzes Field Day 1 in 1986, and Field Day 2 the following year. Flanagan explained his necessity to ascribe an identity to these horses and root them in the concrete: the name Field Day is 'reminiscent of racing and one can have a field day in the sense of an enjoyable event. Calling it Field Day was like naming the horse'. Furthermore, Field Day 1 is also known as Kouros Horse, Kouros referring to Ancient Greek sculptures depicting a youthful male figure. By juxtaposing the idea of a young man with the image of a horse, Flanagan reinforces the concepts of equine beauty and virility. The sister piece, Field Day 2 bears the name Kore (a youthful female in Ancient Greek statuary).
Flanagan’s desire to depict the horse in sculptural form for the first time came as a result of a visit to the Horse of San Marco exhibition at the Royal Academy, London, in 1979. Here, Flanagan was struck by the ancient figures on view, especially the four gilded bronze horses, the Triumphal Quadriga - the group of four bronze horses at St Mark's Basilica. He felt that the great age of these sculptures perfectly demonstrated the ancient relationship between man and horse, and he was inspired to create something with a similar elegance, producing Unicorn and Bronze Horse in 1982 and 1983 respectively. Both of these works achieved the grace illustrated by the Triumphal Quadriga and included a similar stance with the raised front hoof.
The Field Day horses were the first time that Flanagan had mixed his distinctive style with ideas from the Triumphal Quadriga, still incorporating the raised hoof for both sculptures. The emphasised curve of the horseback and the sinuous nature of the legs are the features in which Flanagan’s style is most profound, creating a similar form to his hares.
Flanagan’s aim to present the horse at its most majestic is attained through the horse’s slender frame and raised neck, creating a sense of nobility and power. The raised leg mirrors the classical format of the imposing horses from the Triumphal Quadriga, giving the horse a timeless elegance and recalling the long history of the use of this stance in the sculpture of antiquity.