Horse and Rider

Often a horse is represented as a muscular and heroic animal. That is not the case here. Horse, rider and child are deformed, turned off, hanging together with patches and holes and visible. But the attitude is expressive and expresses a hopeless situation. 'Horse and Rider' is a symbol of the existential fear of modern man, as shown in Picasso's famous painting 'Guernica'. The horse attracts attention, it is the expression of total despair. 'Horse and Rider' is one of Jan Calmeyn's early works. Later, his images evolve towards abstraction.  The image is made of lapping wax, which is melted together. This operation must be carried out in a cool room to maintain the desired shape. The patches and seams have been clearly visible, highlighting the unnatural, the artificial of this sculpture.