BDE

About the work

"There is a very long tradition of horse paintings, horses have marched through the centuries right along with mankind. We know that along with other animals, horses were depicted in many ancient cave dwellings in both Europe and north Africa. At Lascaux and many sites across Spain and France, ancient rock art is to be found and roughly a third of it all is that of horses. Horses were always valued by those who used them for labour and transportation, or the wealthy for whom it was a symbol of prestige and power and status. I have noticed that as usual art history was lacking of powerful horse portraits with female riders. We have depictions of Lady Godiva, Countess of Mercia, was an English noblewoman who, according to a legend dating at least to the 13th century, rode naked – covered only in her long hair – through the streets of Coventry to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation that her husband imposed on his tenants. BDE is my own personal symbol, a fulfilled fantasy of the power and prestige that is above and opposed to any class, race or gender segregation." - Marcelina Amelia