Józef Brandt - On Reconnaissance - Walters 372569

Brandt, a painter of military campaigns and eastern European trail scenes in which horses serve as a recurring motif, distinguished himself as the leader of the "Munich school of Polish painters," an informal band of realists of Polish origin active in Munich in the 1870s. In search of exotic subjects he frequently traveled eastward, visiting Ukraine and the European parts of Turkey. A consummate painter of horses, Brandt shows a procession of Tartar horseman proceeding across a grassy plain dotted with colorful wildflowers. The figure on a dapple horse in the central foreground, startled by something in the rushes at the right, halts, brandishes his rifle, and raises his hand to caution his companion. In the background, the rest of the group rides across the hill toward the two figures in the foreground. The horsemen wear bright red pants, boots, and turbans with feathers; the turban of the man on the dapple horse is a particularly brilliant saffron. Along with the rifles they carry, each has additional weapons around their waists, including bows and axes. The reins and saddles of the horses are embellished by beads and decorative metalwork.