In seeking a colour for the horses, I felt the choice lay between red,
white, black, or grey; further, that whatever colour was employed, it
would be in such a way as best to define and distinguish the various
portions of the groups. I do not think that a single colour, or shades
of the same colour, would have fulfilled this condition. White horses
would have been too prominent, black too sombre. The red I have employed
appeared to be the best colour for the principal horses, as best
balancing by their masses the blue background, whilst the relief between
horse and horse could be harmoniously obtained by the employment of grey
for the back horses. Authority for this mode of treatment exists on the
Greek vases and in the Etruscan tombs, where, when one horse passes
before another, there is a change of colour. As the horses in this
frieze are in ranks of nine, it is most probable that there was still
more variety of colour than I have attempted, to keep the various groups
together.