Two Galloping Horses (Running Horses in Landscape)
Painting on canvas (likely cotton duck) • Signed 'TAMIR' (lower left); likely a commercial or decorative artist active during the mid-to-late 20th century.
Style & Movement
Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art / Stylized Realism
Medium & Technique
Oil or heavy-bodied acrylic on canvas; employs impasto for textural highlights on the horses and the ground, with a blended scumble technique in the background to suggest motion blur.
Creation Period
Circa 1960s–1970s
Dimensions & Format
Horizontal landscape format; estimated approximately 24 x 48 inches (exclusive of frame).
Subject Description
A dynamic composition featuring two horses—one dark and one light—galloping in unison against a stylized teal-green background. The composition emphasizes speed and fluidity, with the horses' manes and tails streaming behind them. The ground is represented by thick, textured slabs of paint suggest kinetic energy.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Fair to Good; the canvas exhibits some sagging, visible dust accumulation, and signs of environmental exposure. The frame shows minor abrasions.
Estimated Market Value
$100 - $300 USD
Auction Estimate
$50 - $150 USD
Provenance History
Unknown; likely purchased through a retail gallery or furniture showroom specializing in decorative oil paintings in the mid-20th century.
Art Historical Significance
Representational of the 'furniture store art' era where hand-painted oils were mass-produced for home interior decoration. While not high fine art, it captures the Mid-Century aesthetic preference for equine subjects and textured, palette-knife techniques.
Notable Features
Prominent ‘Tamir’ signature in the lower-left corner; heavy palette-knife application on the foreground and horse highlights which creates a three-dimensional effect typical of 1970s commercial art.
Condition Issues
Surface grime and thick dust accumulation on the frame and lower lip; potential minor paint loss or brittleness in the impasto areas due to age; slackness in canvas tension.
Conservation Recommendations
Professional surface cleaning to remove dust; mechanical re-tensioning of the canvas; replacement of the dated frame if desired for aesthetic reasons, though the current frame is period-appropriate.