Visual Description and Theme
Cubist-Expressionist Style
The artwork is executed in an aggressive Figurative Expressionist style that heavily utilizes Cubist fragmentation. Forms are constructed from dense, interlocking planes of highly saturated color, separated by strong black outlines. This technique gives the figures and the central horse a geometric, sculptural, and highly expressive quality.
Composition and Symbolic Color
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The Horse: A large, central yellow horse dominates the right side of the canvas. Its blocky, bright form stands out against the surrounding figures, visually suggesting its importance as an object or symbol.
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The Figures: Multiple figures, likely nobility or warriors, are tightly clustered on the left, dressed in vibrant traditional Mongolian attire (elaborate hats, robes) rendered in contrasting reds, blues, and teals. Their simplified, mask-like faces convey an intense, shared focus on the large horse.
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Density: The entire canvas is filled with these dense color blocks, creating a powerful, claustrophobic effect that emphasizes the gravity of the scene.
Theme
The painting is a rich metaphor, applying the classical idea of the “Trojan Horse” (hidden danger or strategy) to the Mongolian cultural context, where the horse is a potent symbol of power, war, and mobility. It explores themes of historical power, symbolic weight, and mysterious intent through a bold, modern reinterpretation of traditional subjects.