Woman and horse
Author: María Izquierdo
Name: Woman and Horse (Mujer y Caballo)
Date: 1938
Material: Gouache on paper
Dimensions: 8 3/8 x 11 inches
Location: Unknown
Woman and Horse (Mujer y caballo, 1938) captures the intense psychological and symbolic interplay between human and animal forces, a theme that recurs throughout María Izquierdo’s work. The composition shares an existential quality with Woman with Two Horses (Mujer y dos caballos, 1938), another painting from the same year in which Izquierdo explores the relationship between female figures and horses, creatures that in her visual lexicon symbolize power, untamed instinct, and personal resilience. However, in Woman and Horse, the interaction is heightened—the woman holds up a flowing red cloth, as if engaging in a ritual, a silent act of control, or a moment of communion with the creature before her.
The deep reds and dark shadows that dominate the painting imbue the scene with a charged intensity, evoking a moment suspended between confrontation and unity. The red fabric, an ambiguous object, serves both as a visual divider and a link between the woman and the horse. It recalls both the gesture of a matador and the performative rituals of control and surrender, blurring the boundary between human agency and animal instinct. This tension is central to Izquierdo’s vision, where the mystical and the earthly intertwine, challenging fixed definitions of power, submission, and freedom.
Much like Allegory of Labor (Alegoría del trabajo, 1936) and Slaves in a Mythical Landscape (Esclavas en paisaje mítico, 1936), this piece positions its central figures within an undefined, almost metaphysical space, where forces beyond the visible world seem to exert an influence. While those earlier works incorporate celestial motifs to suggest cosmic forces shaping human fate, Woman and Horse distills that tension into a more immediate, intimate exchange—one where energy, instinct, and ritual create a silent yet potent dialogue between woman and beast.
For Izquierdo, the horse was not merely an emblem of strength but also a deeply personal symbol, tied to memories of both trauma and fascination. As a child, she had been trampled by a stampede, a formative experience that left a lasting imprint on her imagination. The presence of horses in her paintings often carries an emotional charge, reflecting not only a connection with Mexican equestrian traditions but also a recurring meditation on power, survival, and transformation. In Woman and Horse, these themes manifest through the poised yet enigmatic encounter between the two figures, offering a visual meditation on the fine line between control and surrender, independence and interdependence, the tangible and the spiritual.