Evening Sale
Live Virtual Auction, 16 September 2025
Evening Sale: Modern and Contemporary Art
About this Item
signed, numbered 21/30 in pencil and embossed with the David Krut Workshop chopmark in the margin
Provenance
David Krut Workshop, Johannesburg.
Private Collection.
Notes
The present lot is a striking example of William Kentridge's ongoing exploration of history, memory, and the human condition through his distinctive multi-disciplinary approach.
The present lot combines Kentridge's penchant for layered, symbolic imagery with his unique use of materials and techniques. The horse, a recurring motif in Kentridge's oeuvre, often represents both the animal and the allegorical, embodying themes of power, movement, and the intersection of nature with human constructs. In the present lot, the horse is depicted with a powerful sense of motion, seemingly frozen in a moment of transition between stillness and action. This duality - the tension between the static and the dynamic - is at the heart of the work's visual impact.
The present lot is part of Kentridge's larger Universal Archive series, which is an ongoing project investigating the construction and deconstruction of history. The 'archive' concept is one that resonates throughout Kentridge's body of work, as he examines the ways in which history is recorded, filtered, and interpreted, often questioning the objectivity of the archive itself. By introducing the horse into this archive, Kentridge introduces an element of narrative and movement, allowing the animal to serve as both witness and participant in the unfolding of historical events.
In his work, Kentridge draws on a deep understanding of South African history and a critical engagement with global historical narratives. The horse, both as a literal animal and a symbolic figure, becomes a conduit for Kentridge's meditation on how history is remembered, interpreted, and transmitted.
William Kentridge (2013) A Universal Archive: William Kentridge as Printmaker, London: Hayward Gallery Publishing.