Isaac Babel Riding with Budyonny
- Artist: R.B. Kitaj
- Date: 1962
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 1829 x 1524 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
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About this artwork
This is the “Isaac Babel Riding with Budyonny” by R.B. Kitaj. Painted in 1962, it’s an oil on canvas that captures a moment from the Polish‑Soviet War of 1920. The picture comes from the writings of Russian author Isaac Babel, who served as a war correspondent alongside the First Cavalry Army. In his collection “Red Cavalry”, Babel laid bare the harsh realities of combat, a narrative that was suppressed after Stalin’s rise to power and only resurfaced after 1953. Kitaj’s work turns that testimony into a striking visual. The composition shows the celebrated commander Semyon Budyonny astride a powerful horse, the horse’s muscular form dominating the frame. The figure’s posture conveys both command and the raw tension of battle. It’s a bold reminder that art can carry the weight of history.
See it in person
Isaac Babel Riding with Budyonny is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
