The Race Track (Death on a Pale Horse), Albert Pinkham Ryder, 1896

Ryder’s subject was inspired by a horse race that took place in new york during 1888. One of the artist’s friends wagered $500 on the race and then committed suicide after the horse lost. Medieval symbolism infuses the composition: death appears as a skeleton on horseback holding a scythe with which he cuts down the living, while a snake-a sign of temptation and evil-slithers in the foreground. An intense man, ryder worked on the painting for several years and was deeply reluctant to part with it. Object Type: painting. Date: 1896. Place of creation: America, 19th century. Dimensions: Framed: 84.5 x 102 x 6.5 cm (33 1/4 x 40 3/16 x 2 9/16 in.); Unframed: 70.5 x 90 cm (27 3/4 x 35 7/16 in.). Medium: oil on canvas. Collection: Cleveland Museum of Art. Clevelandart 1928.8