The Horse in the Arts

The horse has played an enormously important part in the daily life of man since prehistoric times. So it is not surprising to find that the horse has been a favored subject for artists in every field throughout history. Even in prehistoric times, hunters scratched pictures of horses on the walls of caves. These drawings, some of which date back to about 18,000 BC, vividly depict in simple lines the animation and action of the animals. The cave artists also succeeded in showing the distinguishing characteristics of the wild horse such as the short body, thick neck with heavy head and upright mane, and short but graceful legs.

The Assyrians, whose land lay between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, were very interested in horses. Relief sculptures carved in stone depict the deeds of their warriors. Sophisticated and detailed carvings in the stone ruins of the ancient city of Calah in Iraq show Assyrian war chariots.

Egyptians decorated their tombs with spindle-legged stylized horses. Those shown on tombs were often many times larger than life size. A small wooden statuette of a horse and rider, carved about 1500 BC, was found inside a tomb. The sculptured horse is much more graceful than those shown in the drawings by artists of this period.

The beauty and form of the horse seems to have inspired artists of almost every culture. We find Japanese screens, Russian icons, ancient Persian tapestries, and 16th-century East Indian miniatures showing the horse in action--some in warfare and others in such sports as polo and lion and tiger hunting.

Perhaps the most famous and beautiful sculptures of all time are those of the horses that form part of a frieze around the Parthenon in Athens. These sculptures, done by the Greek sculptor Phidias about 447 BC, express the Greek idea of perfection. They show young men riding bareback on graceful horses that are portrayed at all gaits as well as at the halt or performing dressage movements.

Throughout the world, there are statues of history's famous military men, always mounted with the charger at the levade, or prancing with arched neck. In Italy, the museums and public squares of cities and towns are filled with statues of mounted and unmounted horses. Some of these date back to the 1st century BC. In Venice, Andrea del Verrocchio's monument to the military leader Bartolommeo Colleoni, done in the late 1400s, shows the artist's ability to portray in bronze the strength and straining energy of a military horse.

During the Middle Ages, tapestries were a popular art form. Many of the castles of Europe used tapestries not only as a decoration but as a practical measure to help cover the stone walls and keep out the cold. The tapestry scenes often included horses. Perhaps one of the best known is the Bayeux Tapestry, thought by some to have been designed by Queen Matilda to honor the success of her husband, William the Conqueror, when he invaded England in 1066. Two hundred horses are embroidered into this work of art.

During the 1500s and 1600s Dutch, Flemish, and Spanish painters were interested in portraying the horse in sports. Sporting prints became extremely popular in England during the 18th and 19th centuries when many artists produced racing and hunting scenes. Many American artists used horses as subjects in some of their art. Among these were Frederick Remington, who is famous for his portrayals of pioneer life in the American West.

The mythology of almost every Western culture includes the horse as an important character. For example, in Greek mythology the sun god, Apollo, crossed the heavens each day in a chariot drawn by fiery steeds. Another famous Greek horse was Bellerophon's flying horse Pegasus, who was placed among the stars. Norse myths tell the story of the hero Sigurd, who rides a brave stallion through a wall of magic fire to rescue the heroine Brynhild. This same story occurs in German mythology and became the basis for Richard Wagner's opera "Siegfried."

The grace and beauty of the horse has inspired many poets. William Shakespeare's famous poem "Venus and Adonis" paints superb word pictures of a stallion and a filly. Lines from this poem appear at the beginning of this article. Another poet, John Masefield, created two masterpieces describing the horse in sports. His "Reynard the Fox" tells of the thrills of a hunt, and "Right Royal" portrays the excitement of a horse race.

Novelists, too, have been inspired by the strength and spirit of this animal. Books about horses in fact and fiction are extremely popular with readers of all ages and many appear every year.


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So it is not surprising to find that the horse has been a favored subject for artists in every field throughout history. Even in prehistoric times, hunters scratched pictures of horses on the walls of caves. These drawings, some of which date back to about 18,000 BC, vividly depict in simple lines the animation and action of the animals. The cave artists also succeeded in showing the distinguishing characteristics of the wild horse such as the short body, thick neck with heavy head and upright mane, and short but graceful legs. The Assyrians, whose land lay between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, were very interested in horses. Relief sculptures carved in stone depict the deeds of their warriors. Sophisticated and detailed carvings in the stone ruins of the ancient city of Calah in Iraq show Assyrian war chariots. Egyptians decorated their tombs with spindle-legged stylized horses. Those shown on tombs were often many times larger than life size. A small wooden statuette of a horse and rider, carved about 1500 BC, was found inside a tomb. The sculptured horse is much more graceful than those shown in the drawings by artists of this period. The beauty and form of the horse seems to have inspired artists of almost every culture. We find Japanese screens, Russian icons, ancient Persian tapestries, and 16th-century East Indian miniatures showing the horse in action--some in warfare and others in such sports as polo and lion and tiger hunting. Perhaps the most famous and beautiful sculptures of all time are those of the horses that form part of a frieze around the Parthenon in Athens. These sculptures, done by the Greek sculptor Phidias about 447 BC, express the Greek idea of perfection. They show young men riding bareback on graceful horses that are portrayed at all gaits as well as at the halt or performing dressage movements. Throughout the world, there are statues of history's famous military men, always mounted with the charger at the levade, or prancing with arched neck. In Italy, the museums and public squares of cities and towns are filled with statues of mounted and unmounted horses. Some of these date back to the 1st century BC. In Venice, Andrea del Verrocchio's monument to the military leader Bartolommeo Colleoni, done in the late 1400s, shows the artist's ability to portray in bronze the strength and straining energy of a military horse. During the Middle Ages, tapestries were a popular art form. Many of the castles of Europe used tapestries not only as a decoration but as a practical measure to help cover the stone walls and keep out the cold. The tapestry scenes often included horses. Perhaps one of the best known is the Bayeux Tapestry, thought by some to have been designed by Queen Matilda to honor the success of her husband, William the Conqueror, when he invaded England in 1066. Two hundred horses are embroidered into this work of art. During the 1500s and 1600s Dutch, Flemish, and Spanish painters were interested in portraying the horse in sports. Sporting prints became extremely popular in England during the 18th and 19th centuries when many artists produced racing and hunting scenes. Many American artists used horses as subjects in some of their art. Among these were Frederick Remington, who is famous for his portrayals of pioneer life in the American West. The mythology of almost every Western culture includes the horse as an important character. For example, in Greek mythology the sun god, Apollo, crossed the heavens each day in a chariot drawn by fiery steeds. Another famous Greek horse was Bellerophon's flying horse Pegasus, who was placed among the stars. Norse myths tell the story of the hero Sigurd, who rides a brave stallion through a wall of magic fire to rescue the heroine Brynhild. This same story occurs in German mythology and became the basis for Richard Wagner's opera "Siegfried." The grace and beauty of the horse has inspired many poets. William Shakespeare's famous poem "Venus and Adonis" paints superb word pictures of a stallion and a filly. Lines from this poem appear at the beginning of this article. Another poet, John Masefield, created two masterpieces describing the horse in sports. His "Reynard the Fox" tells of the thrills of a hunt, and "Right Royal" portrays the excitement of a horse race. Novelists, too, have been inspired by the strength and spirit of this animal. Books about horses in fact and fiction are extremely popular with readers of all ages and many appear every year. Comptons Encyclopedia View My Guestbook Sign My Guestbook