Artwork
By the Love Which Moves the Sun and Other Stars
By the Love Which Moves the Sun and Other Stars is a paint painting by the Contemporary Abstract artist Nell Gifford. It dates from 2019 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Nell Gifford (1973‑2019) created this oil painting in the final years of her life, drawing on her experience with the Giffords circus she co‑founded in Gloucestershire in 2000. The work depicts a fleeting instant from an equestrian routine performed by the Donnert family, a Hungarian troupe renowned for five generations of horseback acrobatics.
Subject & Meaning
The scene captures acrobats balanced on galloping horses, a moment that conveys the kinetic energy of the performance. Gifford inscribed a line from Dante’s Divine Comedy, linking the swift, wheel‑like motion of the act to a broader philosophical notion of love as the force that moves celestial bodies.
Technique & Style
Rendered with vigorous brushwork, the painting emphasizes motion through blurred outlines and dynamic color contrasts. Gifford’s palette balances the vivid hues of the 1960s‑style costumes with the earthy tones of the horses, while light is employed to highlight the performers’ silhouettes against a muted background.
History & Provenance
The Donnerts made their United Kingdom debut at Giffords in 2019 during the show “Xanadu,” which was themed around 1960s culture and featured Beatles songs performed live by the circus band. Gifford completed the painting shortly before her death, and it now resides in the collection of the museum that holds her later works.
Context
Equestrian acts have been central to circus history since Philip Astley’s 18th‑century London performances, a tradition continued at Giffords where Nell often rode or worked with horses herself. This painting thus reflects both a personal connection to the discipline and its historic significance within the circus arts.
Artist & collection
Artist
Nell Gifford painted dreamy scenes that feel both ancient and modern. Their 2019 piece, By the Love Which Moves the Sun and Other Stars, blends soft figures with surreal landscapes, like a quiet vision of a mythical…
