The ride by Franz von Stuck

This joyful and lively work belongs to the movement of late-century bucolic Symbolism and mythological painting. Entitled “The ride”, this original creation depicts an imaginary universe populated by legendary creatures and nymphs in spring nature. The painter Franz von Stuck celebrates here music, freedom, and the joyful harmony between man, animal, and wild nature.

In the center, a large centaur with dark fur gallops energetically through a green meadow dotted with small white and yellow flowers. Three undressed young women crowned with flowery garlands are joyfully seated on the back of the fantastic creature. The centaur, featuring a black beard and a powerful musculature, plays a double flute while directing his head to the right. On the left, the light silhouette of a birch tree stands out against a blue sky dotted with large fluffy white clouds. The fresh and luminous colors of soft green, sky blue, and brown create a festive and spring-like atmosphere. The direct sunlight illuminates the pale bodies of the women in motion.

The artist deploys great virtuosity in rendering the movement of the gallop and integrating the characters into the natural landscape. His oil painting technique makes it possible to considerably increase the sensation of life, the delicate velvet of the skin, and the green freshness of the wild vegetation.