André Brasilier, _Normandy Beach_ (Plage Normande), oil on canvas, 46 × 55 cm (18.1 × 21.7 in.), 1992

"Before the Storm," a 2016 oil painting by Andre Brasilier (b. 1929), depicts a tense scene of a herd of black horses and their riders galloping across sandy ground under a sky covered in wild, swirling gray and white brushstrokes. As the title suggests, the ominous sky foreshadowing an approaching storm and the dynamic rush of the horses, seemingly responding to it, imbue the entire canvas with strong drama. Brasilier's free brushstrokes, which dissolve outlines, are characteristic of his later style, traversing the line between figuration and abstraction. This piece highlights the instinctive power and beauty of the horses facing the natural threat of a turbulent sky. Within the subdued, almost monochrome palette, only the subtle ochre of the ground adds warmth to the canvas, creating a poetic world where tension and tranquility coexist.