The Manege, At The Circus: Horse And Pony With Feathers By Michel Terrasse

This captivating work, evoking the world of Michel Terrasse's theatrical style, depicts a horse and its pony seen from behind. The highly modern composition plays on the contrasts of dark silhouettes against a background of warm, muted tones. Michel Terrasse, great-nephew of the composer Claude Terrasse and linked by his family heritage to the great names of French art (not to mention Bonnard), deploys a rich and textured palette here. Between poetic figuration and post-war modernism, Terrasse uses flat areas of vibrant color (deep reds, ochres, and powdery blues) reminiscent of the Nabis. A melancholic gentleness and great tenderness emanate from this canvas in the relationship between the two animals. A renowned painter, illustrator, and theatrical designer, Michel Terrasse is a respected figure in the French art scene. His work, exhibited in prestigious galleries in Paris and internationally, is distinguished by a rare sensitivity and an innate sense of staging.