Roman Horses
10 3/4" x 8 3/4"
Watercolor and ink on Arches
2023
I was researching for a paper I had to write for my architecture and interior design history class. I was writing about Nero's Golden Palace. The palace was constructed in 64AD, Nero died 68AD and in those 4 years, so much drama that is not at all relevant. The frescoes inside the palace were painted by an unknown person? and after Nero's death the buildings around the palace were demolished and the rubble was used to fill the palace in. The ceilings were so tall in parts of the palace that it was impossible to fill properly, and plumbing was run from the palace to a bathhouse that was constructed directly on top. Fast forward to the 1480's and an artist named Pinturiccho fell through a hole in the park, down into a room of the palace. Not to the ground but onto of the pile of rubble that had been used to fill the space, so he is eyelevel with a fresco that was painted in 63AD. Absolutely incredible. I was dumbfounded. So I was studying the remains of the frescos as best I can without actually going to Rome. and I realize that I recognize some of the bits and pieces. more research and I learn that Raphael spent time in the caverns that were later excavated to reveal the palace, studying the frescos.
The bottom portion of this painting is based entirely on a tiny portion of a Raphael fresco. The shell is a nod to my homegirl Venus, as well as Neptune who was thought to have helped man domesticate horses. The Ankhal-Teke horses are the closest living relatives to the first domesticated horses, the nails are a symbol of their domestication. They can go days without water in the desert and are known to be light tempered despite looking like absolute nightmare fuel.
A limited number of prints will be available soon, original will go to the grave with me.