Le Départ des cavaliers (Après la pluie) (The Departure of the Horsemen (After the Rain))

Provenance

Sale, Sotheby’s, New York, New York, July 20, 2023, lot 425

Note: Alexis Brasilier, the artist’s son, has confirmed the authenticity of this work.

With its vivid palette and simplified forms, Le Départ des cavaliers (Après la pluie) epitomizes André Brasilier’s celebrated paintings of horses. Whether running freely or guided by riders, as seen in this depiction, the animals have become one of the artist’s most prominent motifs. Brasilier recounted, “Horses were my first models as I lived in the countryside at a Manor House with my parents,” continuing, “There is life and movement in the horse. I love horses in every way that they have evolved with us. From the dawn of art with the cave paintings, horses have always been a great love for mankind, a symbol of divinity.”_[1]

_[1] Andre Brasilier, quoted in Ben Church, “Andre Brasilier: Horses are a ‘symbol of divinity,’ says renowned French painter,” CNN, accessed August 15, 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/30/sport/andre-brasilier-horses-paintings-art-spt-intl/index.html.