The Sweet Slave

Giclee canvas print- Size 29″ x 20″ To purchase the original oil painting CLICK HERE

The sweet slave – Horsepower in the Civil War: Applications, Pain, and Personal Connections although a dog may be a man’s closest friend, history was written by horses. Every amazing step of a creature so strong yet so soft, weighing more than a thousand pounds, ever so elegantly sets down causes the ground to tremble. Every desire, dream, and worry is brought to light by the kind stare in their eyes that seems to penetrate gleefully through the human soul. Let’s highlight the often unacknowledged integral roles played by enslaved black groomsmen and trainers and the personal bonds slaves had with their owners and the masters’ horses.

The joy on the man’s face is genuine as he gives the apple to the horse, who is desperately straining to grasp onto the gift of deliciousness in what might be the only good thing that happens that day. It has such deep meaning.  There is an ethereal exchange happening right beneath the noses of the riders and yet, they seem to believe that they are the ones in charge. The figures in the sky know the score and are watching it all.