Essay describing Pale Horse
Erin Elizabeth Ramsdell- February 17, 2006

Adam Grant’s work, Pale Horse, is the conclusion to his Holocaust series. It was completed in 1970, twenty-five years after the conclusion of World War II. This oil on canvas is intended to represent his feelings about the war, to summarize them.

The painting depicts a white horse against a desolate background – there is a building in ruins and a broken tree branch. The sky is red and moody, the attitude at first seems to be one of defeat and desolation; the horse is emaciated and the landscape is anything but appealing. The horse is quite literally skin and bones, but it still bellows out in defiance, battered but not broken. His spirit is still strong though shaken. Then one notes the small splotches of green throughout the ground, perhaps small patches of grass as hints of life to come.

There appears to be little use of contour line in the painting aside from the destroyed building and the head of the horse. For the most part, the articulation of shapes in the painting comes from blending and shading the various colors. This has the effect of making the horse look as though it is emerging from the painting towards the viewer.

The colors convey drama and emotion to the scene. The white horse is stark against the varying reds of the sky, while the browns of the earth speak of devastation. As stated above, there are hints of green within the wasted earth, which seems to express the power of hope over despair. The grass will come again after fire, and so will new life after war.

The brushstrokes are very broad and frenetic. They give a definite sense of turbulent emotion to the viewer. Yet in spite of the emotion, the brushstrokes appear to be very controlled – there is a purpose and a place for each one. The artist did not simply slap paint on a canvas; he wanted to convey the emotion of the scene but in a controlled manner.

The ruined building and dead branch are positioned in such a way that they draw the viewer’s eye up to the head of the horse. By pulling the eye up to that of the horse, the painting focuses on the bold triumph of life over destruction.

At first glance, the painting appears to be showing the horror and devastation of war. But upon closer examination, the viewer sees the signs of hope planted for the discerning eye. The painting reflects the harsh aftermath of World War II, but it also shows the hope for the future contained in the hearts of its survivors. Including that of Adam Grant and his triumph over tremendous tragedy.