The painted horses and human figures on them go beyond the limit of the material world and enter the ethereal sphere of memories, sensations, and eternity. From a distance, the silhouettes are still recognizable as realities, but the colours are different and the bodies of the animals bear various patterns. The surroundings also absorb the nuances and the decorative rhythm of the animals, so that both creatures and space become one and resound with harmony. As the weight of earthly creatures and daily burdens disappears towards the horizon, only the key forms remain.

Mušič liked travelling. In summertime he often visited the Croatian coast, particularly the island of Korčula. Istria and Dalmatia reminded him of the native karst landscape. While in nature, he drew and painted landscapes as well as Dalmatian donkeys and horses. The little horses in his pictures are difficult to differentiate from donkeys. He himself mostly gave his images of this kind the simple title of Little Horses. They brought him great fame and he subsequently often repeated these motifs. Many images of horses date from the time when he was not allowed to contact his family and can be understood as a nostalgic yearning for a safe home and the primordial children’s world. Mušič depicted horses in a different painting media and printmaking techniques.

Zoran Mušič was one of the most outstanding European painters of the 20^th century. He studied at the academy in Zagreb and in those years, he also got to know the Dalmatian coast, which became his frequent painting motif. Towards the end of the Second World War he was imprisoned in Dachau. That experience crucially marked his art. After the war, he lived alternately in Venice and Paris and won recognition in the West. He also exhibited in his native country and was a regular guest at the Ljubljana biennials of graphic art.