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egilpaulsen β€” Dead horses

Published: 2009-08-02 21:21:37 +0000 UTC; Views: 49291; Favourites: 1961; Downloads: 549
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Description Dead horses stuck in the frozen swamp – left to rotten when spring finally arrives..

EDIT: I found the source of the story that inspired me to paint this piece; Curzio Malaparte, in his war novel 'Kaputt,' memorably describes the plight of hundreds of horses frozen alive into Lake Ladoga. The novel is classified as fiction, however it is basically a memoir of his time on the Eastern front during World War II working as a journalist for an Italian publication. He was really in the places and doing the things he described in the novel.

I lack the knowledge to speak to whether the following passage is an embellishment, but to me the tone of the rest of the novel would suggest otherwise. Either way, you'll probably want to read the passage:

"The lake is not deep there, not more than six feet; but a hundred yards from the shore the bottom suddenly drops. Pressed within the narrow space (the lakeshore curves inward there forming a small bay) between the deeper water and the barrier of fire, the horses clustered, shuddering with cold and fear, their heads stretched out above the surface of the water. Those nearer to land were scorched by the flames and reared and struggled to hoist themselves onto the backs of the others, tried to push a way open by biting and kicking. And while still madly struggling, the ice gripped them.

The north wind swooped down during the night. (The north wind blows from the Murmansk Sea, like an angel of doom, crying aloud, and the land suddenly dies.) The cold became frightful. Suddenly, with the peculiar vibrating noise of breaking glass, the water froze. The heat balance was suddenly broken, and the sea, the lakes, the rivers froze. In such instances, even sea waves are gripped in mid-air and become rounded ice waves suspended in the void.

On the following day, when the first ranger patrols, their hair singed, their faces blackened by smoke, cautiously stepped over the warm ashes in the charred forest and reached the lakeshore, a horrible and amazing sight met their eyes. The lake looked like a vast sheet of white marble on which rested hundreds upon hundreds of horses’ heads. They appeared to have been chopped off cleanly with an ax. Only the heads stuck out of the crust of ice. And they were all facing the shore. The white flames of terror still burnt in their wide-open eyes. Close to the shore a tangle of wildly rearing horses rose from the prison of ice."
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Comments: 274

Lyrincal [2021-08-17 22:21:40 +0000 UTC]

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SquishyMimi [2018-01-06 05:27:27 +0000 UTC]

Nice^^

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Sabz0r [2017-09-22 05:26:17 +0000 UTC]

Β I love this !Β Β 

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kowaluc [2017-04-02 02:16:33 +0000 UTC]

Yes i have heard some of the story to this

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KatSakoschek [2016-07-13 17:18:26 +0000 UTC]

This is brilliant

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WarriorMist [2015-07-12 16:56:02 +0000 UTC]

Is there more to the story? I think you should draw more from this story. The way you capture it is beautiful and amazing yet it brings a sense of sorrow.

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daggidina [2015-05-02 15:36:35 +0000 UTC]

Great art, but such a horrible story behind.. o.o

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BaByPaNdAmOnStEr [2015-04-17 15:55:05 +0000 UTC]

I love this!

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commander-rolex [2015-03-05 19:39:43 +0000 UTC]

Artax?

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TwiggyStone [2015-02-10 04:04:14 +0000 UTC]

Its really eerie and amazing.

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Western-Witch [2014-08-19 03:43:55 +0000 UTC]

Haunting piece of literature. Haunting piece of art. Absolutely love the visuals. Can even feel how cold it must have been. Shivers.Β 

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egilpaulsen In reply to Western-Witch [2014-08-19 16:02:49 +0000 UTC]

thanks

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Western-Witch In reply to egilpaulsen [2014-08-19 21:07:17 +0000 UTC]

My pleasure!

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goldkoifish [2014-06-05 09:05:41 +0000 UTC]

Its so morbid and beautiful.

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RiaVeroBenthil [2014-03-23 20:53:36 +0000 UTC]

This painting reminds of the scene in the Neverending Story; it is the part where Artax, the horse, drowns in the swamp.Β  It was one of the most traumatizing cinematic event that I have seen from my childhood.Β  The backstory of "Kaputt" really animates this piece of art; your audience will be able to feel the Gestalt technique that radiates from it.

Overall, "Dead Horses" is an emotional piece; a truly, haunting beauty.

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egilpaulsen In reply to RiaVeroBenthil [2014-03-24 12:19:51 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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ameryl770 [2014-03-23 01:35:48 +0000 UTC]

,'(

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ameryl770 [2014-03-23 01:35:12 +0000 UTC]

DEMENTED

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Wurv [2014-01-11 18:58:20 +0000 UTC]

You can feel the cold air. The mist around.
Awesome work of color and shading

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HorseCookies [2013-11-02 03:55:11 +0000 UTC]

Beautiful and hauntingly gripping. I had shivers as I read the inspiration text for it. Gorgeous piece. c:

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BMTHTori [2013-11-01 21:23:52 +0000 UTC]

so cool

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tanikel [2013-10-30 14:01:51 +0000 UTC]

Eerie. That's the first word that popped my head when I saw this. I couldn't imagine walking up on a scene such as this. It looks like the kind of thing that would haunt your dreams for a good while.

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CyberGal2013 [2013-10-22 04:10:30 +0000 UTC]

Like, wow..

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CerealKiller98 [2013-09-18 04:47:22 +0000 UTC]

This is very cool! Not trying to say that dead horses are cool or anythingΒ ... but just the concept of everything is very well done!

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kagrmom [2013-08-17 14:15:07 +0000 UTC]

Very sad story, but a great drawing nonetheless!!

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EFileTahi-A [2013-08-14 13:36:58 +0000 UTC]

I love the image's feeling but I can't stop wondering, how could a horse freeze to death while standing up?

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egilpaulsen In reply to EFileTahi-A [2013-08-17 01:04:02 +0000 UTC]

Curzio Malaparte, in his war novel 'Kaputt,' memorably describes the plight of hundreds of horses frozen alive into Lake Ladoga. The novel is classified as fiction, however it is basically a memoir of his time on the Eastern front during World War II working as a journalist for an Italian publication. He was really in the places and doing the things he described in the novel.

I lack the knowledge to speak to whether the following passage is an embellishment, but to me the tone of the rest of the novel would suggest otherwise. Either way, you'll probably want to read the passage:

"The lake is not deep there, not more than six feet; but a hundred yards from the shore the bottom suddenly drops. Pressed within the narrow space (the lakeshore curves inward there forming a small bay) between the deeper water and the barrier of fire, the horses clustered, shuddering with cold and fear, their heads stretched out above the surface of the water. Those nearer to land were scorched by the flames and reared and struggled to hoist themselves onto the backs of the others, tried to push a way open by biting and kicking. And while still madly struggling, the ice gripped them.

The north wind swooped down during the night. (The north wind blows from the Murmansk Sea, like an angel of doom, crying aloud, and the land suddenly dies.) The cold became frightful. Suddenly, with the peculiar vibrating noise of breaking glass, the water froze. The heat balance was suddenly broken, and the sea, the lakes, the rivers froze. In such instances, even sea waves are gripped in mid-air and become rounded ice waves suspended in the void.

On the following day, when the first ranger patrols, their hair singed, their faces blackened by smoke, cautiously stepped over the warm ashes in the charred forest and reached the lakeshore, a horrible and amazing sight met their eyes. The lake looked like a vast sheet of white marble on which rested hundreds upon hundreds of horses’ heads. They appeared to have been chopped off cleanly with an ax. Only the heads stuck out of the crust of ice. And they were all facing the shore. The white flames of terror still burnt in their wide-open eyes. Close to the shore a tangle of wildly rearing horses rose from the prison of ice."

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EFileTahi-A In reply to egilpaulsen [2013-08-17 18:40:56 +0000 UTC]

Thank you for the reply!

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vicky1234123 [2013-07-23 19:42:01 +0000 UTC]

OMG i love it so much

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Keeper-Of-Lulu [2013-06-21 02:38:32 +0000 UTC]

Faving for two reasons: One, because this is amazing, and Two, because I believe I just made the 243rd comment.

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egilpaulsen In reply to Keeper-Of-Lulu [2013-07-13 16:36:17 +0000 UTC]

thanks

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Kuronooo [2013-05-14 11:36:12 +0000 UTC]

Oh, wow. o: I love horses, and I can't stand to see one dead... But... Thi is just breath taking!! o:

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BlackNastopian [2013-05-04 20:18:23 +0000 UTC]

Two horses go into a swamp in the middle of winter, Get stuck somehow and died.

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BattousaiBlade7 [2013-04-22 13:31:44 +0000 UTC]

oh God. this is heartbreaking and so dark
i love horses.
but this photo. it's gorgeous

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egilpaulsen In reply to BattousaiBlade7 [2013-04-22 20:37:40 +0000 UTC]

thank you. It is not a photo

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BattousaiBlade7 In reply to egilpaulsen [2013-04-22 23:34:15 +0000 UTC]

photo, artwork, pic.

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the-fuckin-freaxx [2013-02-28 02:15:05 +0000 UTC]

I love horses... but I kinda love pain too. Yeah, "beautifully monstrous" would be my words (:

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AshlynR [2013-02-26 23:06:58 +0000 UTC]

Awesome!!

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Castilvani [2013-02-12 16:29:12 +0000 UTC]

Very cool!

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Ragnelle-was-taken [2013-02-01 03:07:35 +0000 UTC]

Poor horses!

But it was very well done.

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sketcherjak [2013-01-17 02:34:46 +0000 UTC]

This. Is. Brilliant!

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kamay2002 [2012-12-26 19:23:37 +0000 UTC]

AMAZING painting! - but sad truth

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Kristdaoud [2012-12-26 15:59:39 +0000 UTC]

brilliant !!!

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gothold [2012-11-11 20:40:26 +0000 UTC]

this reminds me of photos taken during WW1 of horses killed on the battle fields between 1914-1915. Most were killed by artillery. theres one of half a horse up in a tree. very eerie.

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egilpaulsen In reply to gothold [2012-11-13 23:49:08 +0000 UTC]

I heard some of those stories. Do you know where I can find the photos?

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gothold In reply to egilpaulsen [2012-11-14 02:07:54 +0000 UTC]

well i have a book titled, "The Great War and the shaping of the Twentieth century" but I'm sure there ar many WW1 web sites that may have photos.
there were also photos of disfigured soldiers know as the men with broken faces. since there was no plastic surgery back then many of these unfortunate men were fitted out with tin masks painted flesh colered to hide the damge to their faces.

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miniabby [2012-10-17 19:56:18 +0000 UTC]

so sad because I love horses but so cool because this is an amazing painting and I love zombies and creepy stuff

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KaynessArt [2012-10-11 19:27:51 +0000 UTC]

dark, morbid, love the use of contrasting values and compositions.

what a masterpiece!

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egilpaulsen In reply to KaynessArt [2012-10-18 10:21:36 +0000 UTC]

thanks Kay

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UnbornLegend [2012-10-08 00:15:57 +0000 UTC]

This is a really nice painting. I love it, you're a very good artist.

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