Chincoteaque Ponies

Private Collection, Norfolk, Virginia

In Chincoteague Ponies, Theo Wildanger captures a moment of raw, cinematic tension. The legendary wild horses are seen mid-crossing, their forms partially submerged in the churning Atlantic waters. Above them, a heavy, ominous sky—perhaps the precursor to a summer storm or the fleeting light of a turbulent sunrise—casts a “scary,” dramatic weight over the scene. Small boats and skiffs navigate the periphery, their presence a quiet testament to the human connection to this wild tradition. Through thick, rhythmic oil strokes, Theo balances the power of the elements against the vulnerability of the animals, creating a “dreamlike spirit” that is as much about the salt and the wind as it is about the ponies themselves.