Swimming a horse, Serov, 1905 
- Posted by Valentin Aleksandrovich Serov
- Museum: Russian Museum
- Year: 1905
Overview of the painting :
Swimming a horse – Valentin Aleksandrovich Serov. 1905. Oil on canvas. 72×99
The plot of the picture is simple and understandable. In the execution of any other author, he would have remained an sketch, a breakdown, a sketch. But here, on the contrary, the picture is completely finished, full of deep meaning.
In the atmosphere of work, the author’s bright seal is guessed by his youth, carelessness, and the brightness of his attitude.
The horse in the picture is elegant and graceful. She is standing up for a daily procedure. The young man is in a hurry. His gaze is directed to where his friends swim and have fun.
Brilliantly succeeded the author of the shadow on the water, the color scheme of the evening sky, energetic lines of the waves.
Sunlight perfectly whitewashed the lamb on the waves with glare, the wet back of the horse, the figure of a young man. A few more movements and work will be completed. And man and horse will rest.
The horizon is clear, the sky is meeting the sea simply and naturally. A slight purple shade of the sky, not at all a sign of impending bad weather. It starts twilight.
The energetic manner of writing indicates that the author was in a hurry to convey all the light and color subtleties of the plot, his adult longing for the runaway childhood.