My first thought for this assignment, since I am still recovering from the traumatic and heartbreaking (yet wonderful and life-changing) experience of War Horse, was to find some sort of object/painting depicting a horse. As expected, this was not very difficult. I found several paintings and sculptures depicting horses in general, and even horses ploughing like Joey was forced to do in the play. But, when it came to picking my one object from the Victoria and Albert Museum, I actually landed on a different animal completely; a bull.
Now, if you’ve seen War Horse, you may be asking yourself, “How could a bull possibly have anything to do with a play about a horse?” There are no bulls in the play, nor are there paintings. But, have some faith, I have a good explanation, I swear. The object I am specifically referring to is the painting by James Ward titled Bulls Fighting.
The first thing I immediately thought of when I spotted this painting was the fight for leadership between Joey and Topthorn. Both the horses and the bulls fought each other for some position of power over the other. With this painting, we don’t get to know how the fight ends. With Joey and Topthorn, we see both the horses fall, and we never really fully get to know for sure who “won” the battle for leadership and power over the other. In the end, the horses actually seem to become friends. So, in this way, the horses are unlike the bulls in the painting. The bulls actually better represent the men riding the horses, as, in the play, they were the ones who encouraged a fight between the two horses to decide who would be the one in power. This exact idea of men fighting each other for power is a theme repeated over and over within this play.
This theme shows up again in the relationship between Ted, Albert’s father, and Albert’s uncle. The two brothers were constantly fighting for power over the other, even when it continuously kept hurting themselves and the people around them. This exact idea connects directly back to the overarching theme of the play being war in general, which can sometimes be hidden behind the story of the horse. This painting helps bring to light the actual issue and themes occurring within the play of war and power causing destruction and misery. The play is not just about a horse or a boy’s relationship with a horse. This play is important for recognizing the horrors of war, and this painting can help people realize that through the symbolism of the bulls.
– Jill Qualls
Theatre in London U of A 