Purvis Young, Saint of the Freedom Horses, c. 1980s

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Purvis Young, Saint of the Freedom Horses, c. 1980s

Paint on Found Wood, 23" H x 4.5" W x 0.5" … Read more Purvis Young, Saint of the Freedom Horses, c. 1980s

Paint on Found Wood, 23" H x 4.5" W x 0.5" D

Titled Saint of the Freedom Horses, this expressive vertical painting by Purvis Young exemplifies the artist’s singular ability to merge raw materiality with spiritual symbolism. Painted on a narrow, weathered wood plank, the composition is dominated by a bold, central form rendered in gestural black and red strokes. A red arch or halo crowns the top of the figure—a recurring emblem in Young’s visual vocabulary, used to suggest sanctity, divine protection, or spiritual elevation. The solemn verticality of the central form evokes a saint-like figure or ancestral guardian, channeling both monumentality and human vulnerability.

Near the base of the composition, loosely articulated figures and horses begin to emerge from the painterly field. These “freedom horses,” as they are often called in discussions of Young’s work, are a potent symbol of liberation, resistance, and spiritual transcendence—metaphors for the souls of the overlooked and the restless search for dignity and escape. Their movement breathes life into the otherwise still contemplative figure above, creating a dynamic interplay between stillness and motion and earth and spirit.

The artist’s name, boldly inscribed as “Young” at the top left, affirms the work’s authenticity and aligns with his well-documented practice of signing directly onto found materials. Created amid the charged streets of Overtown, Miami, this piece distills the essence of Young’s vision—spontaneous, symbolic, and deeply rooted in the realities of urban struggle. Saint of the Freedom Horses stands as both a devotional object and a statement of resilience, rendered in the unmistakable hand of one of America’s most celebrated self-taught artists. See less