Rabhar was my favorite model. The most beautiful friendly, sweet and adorable horse on the planet.

My father made a very hazy photo of him, but it had a something… a movement which was the inspiration of this large portrait in oils.
Rabhar was wearing his ”millenium halter” I made this, naturally, in the year 2000, and the coins are pence pieces from the year 2000. Naturally.
He is also wearing his Scytian saddle. The Scythians were a warlike nomadic people, who about 3000 years ago, invented the saddle. These saddles were treeless and had no stirrups, which were invented 1000 years later.

Sketch of Rabhar
Brown pencil on paper
9 by 9 cm

aafke brouwer horses equine art drawing portrait Rabhar

Photo of Rabhar, wearing his millenium halter

rabhar-millenium halter

Scythian saddle, from a burialsite in Russia

Scytian saddle

The Scytian saddle I made for Rabhar

scythian saddle, my own

The portrait of Rabhar
Oil on canvas
1 meter by 1,50 meter

Rabhar

Rabhar

This is the first time I used ceruleum blue on such a large scale. I never used to like it very much, but now suddenly I felt I should use it. It makes a great contrast to the orange brown of Rabhar’s coat.
I was in the middle of the painting and I decided I needed a brighter blue, so I jumped on my bicycle and cycled to an artshop and brought some really expensive ”Scheveningen” with a brilliant ceruleum! Just what I needed!

The gold is real 23 karat leafgold. It is added as the last touch.