Under the Shadow of His Lash I Sleep

Under the Shadow of His Lash I Sleep (2018) is a deeply emotional oil-on-Belgian-linen portrait by Sean Rush, measuring 56 x 68 inches (142 x 172.7 cm) and hand-signed by the artist. The painting represents the solitude of devastating heartbreak and the dreamlike longing to reunite with a lost love.

The composition closely frames the head and neck of a horse, rendered in warm, earthy tones. Hand-lettered script is integrated into the canvas, becoming part of the visual meditation. It reads:

Alone he stands, as the winds blow memories of the Sangre de Christo’s edging the desert floor… Under the shadow of his lash I sleep.

The phrase “shadow of his lash” evokes a poetic form of shelter-a tender curve beneath which grief quietly rests. Rush’s technique-richly layered oil contrasting with areas of exposed linen -mirrors the emotional tension between presence and absence, loss and solace.

This work becomes a visual poem: framed in sorrow yet anchored in a gentle refuge. It invites the viewer into a contemplative space, where heartbreak is transformed into memory, and stillness offers quiet consolation.