Page 58 - The Hunt - Winter 2023/24

A common thread throughout Levitina’s work is a sense of fluidity in her animal subjects. Torrey, by contrast, is known for her absolute realism, as though each horse is a commission of some doting owner—as it may well be. “My style is a classic blend of carefully studied anatomy, movement and striking silhouettes,” she says.
Scott’s horses sport classic poses reminiscent of the generals mounted on
their steeds found in many city parks. Often outdoors in international settings, his subjects are sometimes supersized. “I usually use a
welded-steel technique I’ve honed over the years,” he says. “It involves assembling the sculptures from thousands of small segments of steel, building the sculptures up almost like a three-dimensional mosaic.”
Bright always works from a live model. “Whether the subject is about a young rider’s love of her pony, a race horse skimming a brush fence or a pony grazing, the horse’s individuality is essential to the sculpture’s success,” he says.
Horses can pose challenges for sculptors— logistical as much as artistic. “For me, it’s a
Finished works await their owners at Rikki Morley Saunders’ home.
structural challenge more than specific points of anatomy—the weight of the body supported on relatively small steel hooves and pasterns means some very challenging engineering at times,” Scott says. “Clydesdales are easier in that regard, as those huge feathered fetlocks serve as great structural supports in steel. I sometimes have to make some artistic compromises with anatomy to allow for the limitations of the welded steel. But there’s a knack for making that work visually.”
Levitina recalls the first time she sculpted a horse from life. “I was astounded by the slim profile of my Percheron model’s strong neck and his massive barrel chest held up on four legs that felt like sticks in comparison,” she says.
For her winged horses, the subjects were a pair of Percherons belonging to some friends on a farm in Lyme, Connecticut. “They
were fairly docile but also very social and curious, with their snoots often right in my sketchbooks as I attempted to draw them,” she recalls. “To get the neck right, I would offer one an apple, then watch the muscles on his neck move while I guided the treat away from him and to the side, doing my best to hold his chest stationary against mine to prevent the rest of the horse from moving.”
Musgrave’s horses are often paired with Amazon riders or keepers. She seeks a more stylized look, so getting the anatomy right has never been a priority. “It’s more a sense and feel of their relationship with their Amazon riders that appeals to me,” she says. “Their vitality and versatility through movement and the composition of horse and rider together are what I find interesting to try and depict in a contemporary manner.”
Torrey may well be speaking for all her colleagues working in bronze, marble or steel when she notes that nothing beats the real thing. “Watching horses move, and having them handy to reference as I work gives my work a freshness and accuracy that nature inspires,” she says. “There’s elegance, grace, movement and strength in nature. That’s my muse.”
Visit julialevitina.com, margerytorrey.com, rikkimorleysaunders.com, jclaytonbrightstudio. com, somervillemanning.com/artists/olivia- musgrave and andyscottsculptor.com.
56 THE HUNT MAGAZINE winter 2023-24