The Rider

A charcoal sketch of a mounted warrior in traditional dress and a plumed turban, seated atop a rearing horse caught mid-motion. Loose, confident shading builds up the horse's muscle and the folds of the rider's robes, while the face remains calm and composed despite the animal's tension beneath him. The contrast between the horse's raised foreleg and the rider's still, upright posture gives the piece a held-breath quality a moment right before movement, rather than movement itself.