The artwork “Horse Frightened by a Storm” was created by the prominent Romantic artist Eugene Delacroix in 1824. This animal painting is executed in watercolor and measures 23.6 by 32 centimeters. As an example of the Romanticism art movement, it conveys a strong emotional expression and a sense of the sublime being witnessed in nature. Its current residence is at the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, Hungary.
The artwork portrays a solitary horse in a state of alarm, possibly galvanized by the tempestuous atmosphere around it. The horse is depicted mid-rear, with its forelegs lifted off the ground and its head thrown back in what appears to be a startled reaction to the storm’s ferocity. The raw energy and movement of the horse are palpable, with its mane and tail whipped by the wind, enhancing the dynamism of the composition.
The color palette is dominated by dark, brooding hues, underscoring the ominous mood of the scene. Streaks of lightning crack through the heavy clouds in the background, accentuating the horse’s terror and the painting’s dramatic tension. Delacroix has used the watercolor medium to great effect, with fluid brushstrokes that evoke the tumultuous sky and the tempest’s fleeting nature.
Overall, “Horse Frightened by a Storm” is a striking embodiment of Romanticism’s interest in the powerful forces of nature and the emotional resonance they can evoke, representing not only the physical might of the storm but also stirring the viewer’s internal response to the depicted scene.
