Label
2022, Echoes of the Classical World
This depiction of Neptune comes from a series of works called Les Chevaux de Dali, or The Horses of Salvador Dali. The ancient Roman god Neptune was the wielder of the trident, the tamer of horses, and the commander of the seas. The god would arise from the sea, charging forward on a chariot pulled by horses to master the waves and wind. Like his Greek counterpart Poseidon, Neptune was a patron of horses and horse racing, a sport that was popular in ancient Roman culture. Horses are wild and untamable. A symbol of power and status for classical cultures, horses represented a rawness in nature through their beauty and strength. Neptune’s horse embodies a sense of freedom and a magnificent triumph of the seas.
Text by Kelsey Bremmer, Washburn student