Since the beginning of time, horses have been man’s most faithful friend. For thousands of years, they stood side-by-side with humans, fulfilling a multitude of roles including hunting, battle, and simple companionship. In 2008, there were estimated to be almost 59,000,000 horses in the world!
Whether used for leisure, sports, or working purposes, these magnificent creatures have captivated artists and designers for millennia. Via 15 key European artworks centred around the image of the horse, discover how our perceptions of this noble animal have changed over time.
The Lascaux cave paintings, Upper Paleolithic, Montignac, South of France
Near the village of Montignac, Dordogne, Southwestern France, sits a network of caves, decorated with some of the oldest and most famous wall paintings in the world. Discovered in the 1940s by 18-year-old Marcel Ravidat (and his dog!), the paintings are estimated to be roughly 17,000 years old.
Over 6,000 figures cover the interior walls and ceilings, depicting a host of human forms, abstract signs, and local animals. Horses are undoubtedly one of the most prominent subjects: out of the c.900 identifiable animal figures, there are 364 paintings of horses.
Interpretation of the paintings is continually debated, regarded by some as an account of past hunting endeavours; by others as part of a mystic ritual to improve future hunting success. Regardless of their meaning, the large number of equine subjects indicates how horses have been central to daily life for thousands of years.
Cave painting of a dun horse at Lascaux. Most of the images in the caves would have been painted using mineral pigments, in shades of red, yellow, and black.
Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, Roman, c. 175 AD
One of the most famous equestrian statues of all time, this noble bronze commemorates the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (ruled 161-180 AD). Standing at an impressive 13 feet tall, the statue exudes the power and grandeur fitting for the emperor of Rome.
Over life-size, Marcus Aurelius extends his hand in a gesture of address or mercy – a frequent pose for commemorative statues of emperors at the time. Shown without weapons or armour, the emperor is portrayed as a bringer of peace (as he saw himself and his rule), whilst rendering him on horseback evokes a sense of military triumph.
Large equestrian statues of emperors would have been a common sight in ancient Rome, with at least 22 of these equi magni (‘great horses’) erected to honour the depicted emperor’s military and civic achievements. Horses were so integral to military life in Rome that there was an entire class of citizens known as ‘equites’ (literally ‘cavalrymen’), ranking second only to the senatorial class!
The towering sculpture is now on display in the Capitoline Museums, Rome. Since it was common practice in the late empire to melt down old bronzes for reuse, this statue is one of only two surviving statues of a pre-Christian Roman emperor, given a misidentification of Marcus Aurelius with Constantine the Great.
Horses of Saint Mark, c. 5th century BC-4th century AD, Venice
Situated atop the Loggia of Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice, these four, triumphant horses were originally part of a monument depicting a ‘quadriga’ – a four-horse carriage used for chariot racing in antiquity. The quadriga was an emblem of triumph, used in the ancient Olympic games or depicted as the ‘Chariot of the Gods’ ridden by Apollo across the heavens.
Whilst shown here without the accompanying chariot, the four sculptures conjure up the power and triumph associated with chariot racing in the ancient world. Positioned in a dynamic manner with their legs in motion, each horse is exquisitely crafted with a muscular body and flowing mane. The harnesses and trapping, which were once gilded, add to their regal appearance.
Some scholars postulate that the statues were made in Classical Greece (5th/4th century BC), even attributing them to great ancient Greek sculptors such as Phidias or Lysippus. The mercury gilding and specifics of the horses’ forms make them more likely to be a Roman creation, inspired by the Hellenic tradition.
The original sculptures are now housed within the Basilica, with replicas placed on the Loggia. A similar quadriga sculpture can be found in the Mayfair Gallery collection here.
Paolo di Dono, called Uccello, The Hunt in the Forest, c. 1465–1470
Following a relative lack of equestrian art in the Middle Ages due to the centrality of Christian imagery, Paolo di Uccello’s The Hunt celebrates one of the most popular noble pastime during the Renaissance era – hunting.
The painting is highly original, and displays the innovative use of perspective that Uccello was known for. The artist has fixed the vanishing point in the centre of the panel, using the inward direction of the hunters and their spears to draw the viewer into the impressive depth of the painting.
More pertinently, the artist also highlights the importance of the horses to the hunt, adorning their trappings with crescent moons - the symbol of Diana, the goddess of the hunt. With its unusual night-time setting, this hunting scene is not realistic, but instead a symbolic representation of the centrality of the pastime to the lives of the elite.
The work falls under the category of spalliera painting – common in Renaissance Tuscany, these were decorated backboards, typically mounted as a headboard, behind a chest, or within the panelling of a room.
Leonardo da Vinci and Peter Paul Rubens, preparatory sketch for The Battle of Anghiari, 16th and 17th centuries
This drawing is the most famous surviving interpretation of Leonardo’s planned fresco for the wall of the Palazzo della Signoria in Florence, commemorating Florentine victory over Milan at the Battle of Anghiari, 1440. The drawing depicts the central section - a ferocious battle for a standard between four cavalrymen – which would have been made in the 16th century and extended by Rubens in the 17th.
The battle itself is remarkable for the fact that despite the fighting lasting all day, and involving several thousand troops, it was said that only one soldier was killed! According to Niccolò Machiavelli, the single death occurred "when a soldier fell off his horse".
Yet Leonardo’s version instead shows the terror of battle, where man and horse are joined together in their fight for victory. Leonardo/Rubens has captured the scene in such a way that we feel the anguish of the horses just as much as that of their riders, with their wide eyes, contorted expressions, and tense bodies.
The most famous version of Leonardo’s preparatory sketches, added to and extended by Rubens. Many compositional similarities can be seen between this work and Rubens’ own The Hippopotamus and Crocodile Hunt.
Donatello, Equestrian Statue of Gattamelata, 1453
The first full-size equestrian statue of the Italian Renaissance, this impressive sculpture has many similarities to the statue of Marcus Aurelius. The bronze was made by Donatello, and is a posthumous honorific to the Italian military general Erasmo da Narni, known as "Gattamelata".
Much like the Marcus Aurelius statue, the artist depicts the leader atop his horse to convey a sense of military triumph. The figure and horse are mirrored in posed and disposition, both alert and watchful for any incoming threat. The front-left foot of the horse rests upon a cannonball, which further symbolises his wartime achievements. Again, there is the sense that Gattamelata’s horse played a crucial part in his military victories.
The statue is notable for reintroducing the grandeur and naturalism of classical equestrian portraiture to the Western art world, and went on to be a model for many future commemorative sculptures.
The statue where it now stands in the Piazza del Santo in Padua, Italy. Unlike the Marcus Aurelius statue, Gattamelata is not larger-than-life-size, showing the artist’s commitment to a naturalistic portrayal.
Guillaume Costou, The Marly Horses, 1743-45
One of the most famous horse sculptures in history, this marble pair was commissioned by King Louis XV of France, and was designed to sit at the entrance to the grounds of his Château de ‘Marly’ (hence their name!).
Whilst the Marcus Aurelius and Gattamelata statues paired man and horse to magnify the human figure, here it is the horses who dominate over men. The two animals are depicted in a moment of physical prowess, rearing onto their hind legs as their groomsmen struggle to keep them contained. Costou’s sculptures celebrate the power and beauty of the horse, casting their bodies with impressive anatomical correctness.
The sculptures have proved highly successful in reproduction, and a pair of these models are some of the most sought-after sculptural works from this period. You can find several exceptional reproductions of the pair as part of the Mayfair Gallery collection.
Replicas of the horses now stand in the Place de La Concorde, but the original statues are now housed in a wing of the Louvre (which was renamed the ‘Cour Marly’ in their honour!)
George Stubbs, Whistlejacket, c. 1762
Arguably the most famous portrait of a horse, this impressive work is regarded as the masterpiece of the British painter George Stubbs, an artist known for his equestrian subjects. The painting was commissioned by the owner of the horse (named Whistlejacket) – the 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, who commissioned this life-size portrait of his prize racehorse.
Whilst the horse had indeed won a famous victory a few years prior, this portrait is more of a celebration of Whistlejacket’s beautiful form. The horse’s rich chestnut coat and auburn tail and mane indicate that it is a pure-bred Arabian breed – one of the most desired horse breeds in the world.
Whistlejacket is depicted alone, against a neutral background. Devoid of any rider, trappings or even location, the horse is free of human control, and seen as a worthy subject of portraiture in its own right.
Whilst the original is housed in the National Gallery, a replica of the impressive portrait continues to hang in its original location, in Wentworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire.
Jacques-Louis David, Napoleon Crossing the Alps, 1801
This heroic painting is one of five oil on canvas equestrian portraits of Napoleon Bonaparte, painted by David over a four-year period. This idealised image of the triumphant leader on horseback has become one of the most famous and reproduced images of Napoleon of all time.
In May 1800, Napoleon led his troops across the Alps in a military campaign against the Austrians, whom he then defeated at the Battle of Marengo. The painting commemorates this decisive military achievement, commissioned by King Charles IV of Spain to hang in the Royal Palace in Madrid.
Napoleon himself asked to be depicted as “calme sur un cheval fougueux” – ‘calm on a fiery horse’. By depicting the great leader in control of this ‘wild beast’, David creates a portrait of authority, with a commander who is able to wield power with composure. Three more versions were painted after this first version, to be housed in various European countries that Napoleon had conquered, with a final version to stay in David’s studio.
Whilst David casts a stormy landscape, the crossing was in reality made in fine weather, with Napoleon crossing the mountains on a mule led by a guide!
Rosa Bonheur, The Horse Fair, 1852-55
Widely praised upon its debut at the 1853 Paris Salon, this work is the best-known painting by the notable animalier (animal painter) Rosa Bonheur. Whilst Bonheur was inspired by the work of Eugène Delacroix and George Stubbs (see above!), the greatest influence on The Horse Fair was ancient Greek sculpture, with Bonheur viewing this work as her very own “Parthenon Frieze”.
The work shows the horse market held on the Boulevard de l’Hôpital, Paris, and Bonheur sketched there twice a week for a year and a half. To discourage unwanted attention, she even obtained permission from the police to dress as a man. In a time when female painters were becoming more common, this work was praised for its lack of discernible femininity, with one critic marvelling at how “so masculine a work is the production of a feminine hand”.
The surprise speaks to the continuing association of horses with a ‘masculine’ strength and virility, which our previous examples have clearly illustrated.
With thunderous horses yoked by athletic men, Bonheur’s painting certainly conforms to this image of male fortitude
Edgar Degas, At the Races in the Countryside, 1869
Despite its title, this painting by Degas seems more concerned with the onlookers than the race itself. In this closely cropped work, which appears almost more like a photograph than a 19th-century painting, Degas places a horsedrawn carriage in the right foreground, occupied by a young, upper-class family. With the race itself relegated to a background miniature, the viewer focuses instead on the familial scene.
And whilst it may not be his aim, Degas effectively illustrates the various uses for horses at the time: the race itself, in the left background, is watched by mounted onlookers, whilst the family subject in the foreground sits in a horse-drawn carriage. The painting shows the necessity of horses for daily life for the middle and upper classes, no longer only used for sport or military endeavours, but also for everyday travel.
With the Impressionist movement all about capturing the intricacies of everyday life, it is no wonder that this intimate portrait was one of Degas’ contributions to the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874.
As well as showing the influence of photography, scholars have also speculated that this work shares similarities to the colour palette of English horse racing scenes, and the composition of Japanese woodblock prints, both of which were popular in France at the time.
Jean-Léon Gérôme, Riders Crossing the Desert, 1870
This spectacular oil painting is one of the most famous Orientalist works of all time. Capturing the intensity of the midday Egyptian sun, this group of riders traverse through a barren desert plain. This hugely evocative work is by the French painter Gérôme, who travelled the Egyptian deserts on multiple occasions, gaining insight into the harsh conditions these riders faced.
Quite unlike the gentility of Degas’ racing scene, this painting instead focuses on the isolation and heat of the desert landscape. With the sun beating down on their brightly coloured robes, the travellers move onwards through the dusty plain, with the frieze-like composition illustrating their determined progress. For these men, their horses are their travelling companions, crucial to their successful progression through these oppressive conditions.
Horses play a fundamental role in Orientalist art. With the Arabian horse one of the most prized breeds across the world, Arab people and their horses came to symbolise a yearning amongst Western artists for the pre-Industrialised past, where the beauty of flora and fauna dominated. Equine subjects continue to have universal appeal for collectors of Orientalist works.
Like Degas, Gérôme was influenced by photography – this work is based on photographs taken by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi (who accompanied Gérôme on an Egyptian expedition), as well as Gérôme’s own sketches.
Franz Marc, Blue Horses, 1911
The advent of the 20th century introduced a whole host of new artistic movements, which sought to stray away from the more rigid conventions of academic painting. Painter Franz Marc was seminal to the German Expressionist movement, which distorted form and colour to prioritise subjective emotions and experiences.
This painting is one of Marc’s most important works in his series of horse portraits. Three vividly coloured blue horses are depicted looking down, in front of rolling red hills. The curving outlines of the animals mirror the landscape behind them, and without the bright primary colours, the horses would almost become one with their landscape.
Marc considered animals to be more divine and pure than humans, and the colours and lines work to emphasise this spirituality: the curving lines emphasise a sense of harmony with the natural world, whilst Marc used blue throughout his career to evoke ideas of transcendence and immateriality.
The evocative painting was the inspiration behind Mary Oliver’s poetry collection ‘Blue Horses’. In the titular poem, Oliver reflects on the emotional power of this work.
Alfred Munnings, Start at Newmarket: Study No. 4, c. 1947
Filled with anticipation, this painting captures the excitement of horse racing, a sport that continues to be a British institution, and one that captured English artist Alfred Munnings for the entirety of his career. After watching two days of racing in his home county of Suffolk, he remarked “‘I saw the thoroughbred horses and jockeys in bright silk colours, going off down the course…and I began to live!”.
Munnings’ depictions of horses and racing evolved over his life, coming to dominate his work post the Second World War. For the artist, it was the start of the race that most captured his attention: Munnings loved to depict the moment of tense stillness before the horses erupted into a sprint. In this study at Newmarket, the glossiness of the horses’ coats effectively emphasises their taut muscles, straining in anticipation.
The artist’s love of horses was lifelong. In a lecture towards the end of his life, he said “if there were no horses in the world, life would not be worth living”.
Despite depicting a moment before the race has started, Munnings fills this composition with exciting details: the rearing horses, the colourfully dressed jockeys, and the incoming dark clouds add to the sense of anticipation.
Andy Scott, The Kelpies, 2013
The largest equine sculptures in the world, Andy Scott’s monumental contemporary works are a far departure from the paintings and sculptures we have previously discussed! Standing at a towering 30 metres (98ft) in height, the sculptures were designed to commemorate the importance of horses in shaping the landscape of modern Falkirk.
Crafted from more than 600 tonnes of steel, the sculptures are modelled on two Clysedale horses (a Scottish breed of draught horse) called Duke and Baron, effectively capturing a life-likeness to the beautiful creatures.
The kelpies were shape-shifting horse-like spirits that inhabited lochs in Scottish folklore, said to possess the strength and endurance of ten horses. By evoking the powerful associations of these mythical water horses, Scott was able to create a monument that celebrates the centrality of horses to the history of Scottish industry and agriculture.
The sculptures pictured illuminated at night. Visitors to the monuments can even be taken inside the sculptures on a guided tour, receiving an exclusive insight into the ingenuity of their engineering.
At Mayfair Gallery, we are proud to present a curated collection of some of the finest pieces of equestrian art currently on the market. View them online here, or see the works in person in our Mayfair showroom.
