This winter garden triptych presents three horses, rendered in white, pink, and green, paired with the winter blossoms of hellebore in matching bloom. The horse stands as a symbol of strength, freedom, and power, yet beside it grows a delicate flower that harbors a poison capable of bringing even such force to its knees. Hellebore is beautiful, toxic, and enduring: a plant that survives adversity and flowers in the coldest depths of winter. Together, horse and hellebore hold a quiet tension, between power and vulnerability, dominance and humility…reminding us that true strength is never absolute, and that resilience often emerges from the harshest conditions.
The horse faces forward, meeting the viewer head-on, both eyes open and unwavering. Its posture is proud and composed, adorned with a regal bridle of green hellebore that drapes with quiet elegance. The text that marked earlier works has nearly disappeared here, subdued to the point of absence, allowing the form, color, and presence of the animal to dominate. The winter-blooming hellebore frames the horse not as a warning, but as an ornament.
Meaning
This painting represents discernment. Unlike the earlier works, danger is no longer explained or analyzed; it is simply known. The horse wears the hellebore without fear because it understands the boundary between proximity and consumption. Strength here is not denial of risk, but mastery of it: the wisdom to coexist with what is harmful without being undone by it. The green palette speaks to balance, growth, and restraint, suggesting a mature power: one that can face forward, hold beauty and danger together, and remain whole.
