Artwork
Horses
Horses is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Paul-Albert Besnard. It dates from 1898 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Paul‑Albert Besnard’s 1898 oil painting titled *Horses* presents a small group of equine figures set against a rustic backdrop. Executed in the late nineteenth century, the work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection and exemplifies the artist’s interest in animal subjects rendered with a keen sense of atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas shows three brown horses, each with dark manes and tails, standing on a compacted earth surface and looking toward the left. They are positioned before a low stone wall, while foliage and trees recede in the distance, suggesting a tranquil rural setting that emphasizes the quiet presence of the animals within a natural landscape.
Technique & Style
Besnard employs a palette that balances warm earth tones with cooler greens and yellows, creating depth through subtle shifts in color. His brushwork is loose and expressive, imparting a sense of movement to the horses’ forms. The handling of light across the stone wall and surrounding vegetation adds atmospheric perspective, guiding the viewer’s eye through the composition.
History & Provenance
Created in 1898, *Horses* entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on display. The painting reflects Besnard’s late‑career focus on animal subjects and contributes to the museum’s holdings of French academic and impressionist‑influenced works from the turn of the century.
Artist & collection
Artist
Paul-Albert Besnard (1849–1934) was a French artist, born in 7th arrondissement of Paris.
