My oil painting, I Fantini, depicts the Palio race in Siena, the tense moment after the canopo (starting line) has... Read More
My oil painting, I Fantini, depicts the Palio race in Siena, the tense moment after the canopo (starting line) has dropped. Despite the rivalry between the contrade, each Sienese district feels the anticipation of the race's outcome together. Blocks of colour simplify the energetic audience, which dissipates as the horses leap into action. The beginning of the race and the positions of the jockeys and their horses will dictate how they run. Working with wet-on-wet oil paint, I layer blocks of unblended paint while slowly specifying form. The intensely saturated warm colours are limited to the jockeys and their mounts, representing the internal intensity the riders experience. The transformation from anticipation to pressure rests on the jockey's shoulders, which is reflected in the compact composition, where viewers' eyes have no breathing space, similar to the lack of room for error in the jockey’s race.
Dimensions of Work: 60.96 x 76.20 x 3.81
