Horse art - a tribute to mankind´s faithful friend and servant
Welcome, friend of Horse Art!
The horse has been with man for thousands of years. Our civilization would have been very different without the horse. A friend, a warrior, a messenger, an ever trustworthy presence. The horse deserves to be admired in art.. Here is info, products and resources on horses in art. The horse - poetry in motion.
Leenashorses
My horse art
Magical Afternoon Large Framed Print
A beautiful Friesian horse, a jester with a glass apple and hot air balloons - a scene from circus or from a fairy tale? A timeless piece of fantasy art, digital oil painting.
Price: 39.99
In the Wind Small Poster
A pastel painting of a beautiful horse, turning his head to look at you in the strong wind.
Price: 16.99
Patience of Time Large Framed Print
Patience of Time, a symbolical horse representing continuing with life despite experiencing sorrow. If we are patient, time will heal. I did this artwork when we lost a family member unexpectedly. I wrote a poem also to this painting, and from this poem I took the name to the painting. Check my website
Price: 39.99
I used to be rich Women's Light T-Shirt
"I used to be rich - now I own a horse". Now if that isn´t a fact of life for many a horse owner, I don´t know what is... But here it is said with a touh of humor. In the shirt there is a photo I took, the horse has such a broad funny smile it makes people smile too.
Price: 18.99
Egyptian pride Framed Panel Print
A painting of a lively Arabian horse galloping in exotic surroundings - like from Thousand and one nights.
Price: 39.99
First signs of horse art - the Lascaux caves
When horse was hunted
The Lascaux caves in SW France are famous for their animal paintings. These Paleolithic paintings are estimated to be 16 000 years old. There are almost 2000 paintings in the caves. Many have suffered the touch of times and can no longer be seen clearly. Also the carbon dioxide of the cave visiting tourists damaged the paintings and so the caves were closed from public in 1963. Thankfully the artwork could be preserved.A replica of two of the Lasaux caves were opened to the public later on.
Of the animals painted to the cave walls most are horses: almost 400 of the 900 animal paintings.
During this time the horse was one of the most important animals hunted for food. Perhaps these horse paintings tell of successful horse hunts - or are painted as a thank you to a divinity after cathing horses for food.
There is a great resemblance between the Mongolian or Przewalski horse and the horse in this painting.
There is a link to the official site of the Lascaux caves on my link lists. Go check them. Visit the Conquer cave - great pictures of horses there.
My horse art
Trot Large Framed Print
An ink drawing of a warmblood horse trotting towards you. This running horse is enjoying its freedom in the field.
Price: 39.99
Foal Ornament (Round)
A pretty young foal lying in summer grass, content, without a worry in the world.
Price: 9.99
Horse art in ancient Egypt
When horse became the warrior
It is estimated the horse was brought to Egypt at the time of the Hyksos - Eastern invaders whose capital was Avaris in the Nile Delta. Officially the time is called Second Intermediate period (about 1700 - 1550BC). The horse was smaller than today and was not ridden, but trained to draw chariots. It was a high maintenance animal and a "luxury item". The pharaohs built race courts to their horses - Amenhotep II and Queen Tiy were perhaps the most famous horse lovers of their time.The horse was depicted in wall paintings according to the same strict rules as the other Egyptian art also. From the side, with a proud step, drawing their master to victory at war, ostrich plumes attached to their reins. The light chariots were pieces of art themselves. The paharaoh and the horses were the biggest part of the paintings.
There was one exception to the rule of painting horses from the side - the son of Amenhotep II, Akhenaten, changed the rules of art. In Amarna a painting was discovered where a horse has turned its head and looks straight out of the painting, at the viewer.
Perhaps the most famous of the horse paintings are of Ramses the Great in the battle of Kadesh. (Here is a picture I took at Karnak, Egypt, of the wall depicting the famous battle)
Horse in Mesopotamian art
palace panels of Nimrud
(Will add here soon a picture I took of the panels at British Museum - when I manage to decide which one to use. They are that beautiful...)
Horse in ancient Greek art
From geometrical to amazing elegance
What we consider to be Classical Greece had its roots in the Geometrical Period. Major temples and sanctuaries were built. It was a world of warriors. And the horse of course was an important part of this culture. The warrior with his horse and chariot were typical symbols of this era. Huge painted vases, votive offerings of terracotta and bronze showed the high level of early Greek art.At this stage the horse was often made into bronze statuettes. They were not yet realistic looking, but symbolical and... well, geometrical in shape.
The later Greeks made horse breath-takingly realistic and beautiful in their art. Now you see riders on horseback too. A wonderful example of Greek horse art can be found at the British Museum. Even though I had a digicamera (= no problems with running out of film), I still ran out of memory cards... So wait a bit and I will add a picture or two of the amazing Partenon horses. (Yes, the same problem as wih the Mesopotamian horses. I have to decide which ones o use...)
Horse in Roman art
Strong and realistic horses
Here is the text about the statue from British Museum´s website:
Marble statue of a youth on horseback
Possibly a prince of the Roman imperial family
Roman, made in Italy AD 1-50
The statue portrays a young man mounted on a horse: he is shown heroically naked except for his military cloak (paludamentum). The statue was found in or near Rome in the sixteenth century, was then restored by Giacomo della Porta, and from 1652 stood in the Palazzo Farnese. Restorations include the youth's arms and three of the horse's legs.
Statues of mounted individuals (equestrian statues) such as this were not common in antiquity, so the subject was clearly a person of some importance. The boy's facial features and hairstyle resemble those of members of the Julio-Claudian dynasty of Roman emperors, in particular the emperors and princes of the first half of the first century AD. When the sculpture first entered the Museum it was identified as a portrait of the emperor Caligula or Gaius (AD 37-41) in his youth. Later it was thought that the head might not belong to the body, and that the body itself dated to the mid-later second century, representing, perhaps, one of the imperial princes of that period. During recent cleaning, however, it was observed that the marble of the head of the youth and the unrestored parts of the horse were the same. This has raised once more the possibility that horse and rider belong and indeed represent a Julio-Claudian prince.
Y. Ascher, 'A rediscovered Antonine marble horseman', Antike Kunst-1, 43 (2000), 102-9
A.H Smith, A catalogue of sculpture in -2, vol. 3 (London, British Museum, 1904)
Will add a photo I took of the statue soon.
True horse art - by a HORSE artist
Now here is some really interesting horse art for you to look at. Click your way to his website from the link belowand meet Buddy. Here is the opening paragraph of his website:
"Thanks for visiting the home on the web of "The Painting Pony." Buddy (the painting pony) appreciates the support from people like you who enjoy his artwork. He not only paints for himself, but also for the benefit of other horses who also share in his struggle with Equine Cushings Disease. A percentage of the sales of his paintings is donated to research on Equine Cushings to help better understand the disease."
I am sure Buddy appreciates every visit!
Are you interested in learning to paint?
If this is the case, here are some resources for you
Click Here! to learn oil painting. Oil paintings are traditionally considered to be the "Real Art". Certainly a very demanding media to master, but very gratifying when you do!!
Or are you perhaps already an artist? Not one of the starving ones, I hope :) Well - a little extra help is always welcome, when it comes to creating income from your art.
Click Here! to learn how to make a living with your art.
Interesting horsey links
- Leena´s horse art
- Here are paintings I have made of horses and of other subjects too.
- The Lascaux caves horse paintings
- Here you can read the story of the Lascaux caves and see pictures of the most ancient horse art. They are beautiful!
- Chinook Arabians
- This is a wonderful site with a lively discussion forum. Chinook Arabians is the home of The Silver Ghost, a beautiful Arabian stallion (a Sweepstakes nominated sire) I have also made a painting of.
All things horsey are talked here, Arabian horses are the favorite but not only subject. Many other horse breeds are discussed by the horse owners. - Leena´s horse (and other art) gifts
- So many people wrote to me and asked if I sold horse prints, horse greeting cards, horse t shirts, horse calendars, horse mugs, horse buttons, horse magnets... Finally I figured I had to start offering these products if so many were interested in them. And so I opened my Cafepress shop. Check what my art looks like in dozens of products at this link.
- The painting pony
- The website of the pony that paints - real art! With brushes and canvases - and seems to enjoy it a lot.
I am sure Buddy appreciates every visit! - The Roman youth on horseback at the British Museum
- A beautiful example of a Roman horse and riding statue from the beginning of the current era - possibly a portrait of the young Caligula (1-50 AD)
Horse Art books in Amazon
Yes, people have been painting horses throughout history - check these wonderful books on the subject!
The Horse: 30,000 Years of the Horse in Art
This stunningly illustrated history of the horse in art documents the creative journey from prehistoric cave painting to the war horses of Uccello, the thoroughbred portraits of Stubbs, the enigmatic prints of Elisabeth Frink and beyond. It explores the role of the horse in Eastern imagery and as the subject of myth and legend; as a symbol of power and an ally in war; as the subject of anatomical scrutiny and the Romantic embodiment of human feeling; and as the emblem of sporting pleasures and prowess. The book sheds particular light on man's relationship with the horse, and on the story of equine evolution from the stocky primitive to today's thoroughbred.
Amazon Price: $32.97 (as of 09/05/2008)
Horses: History, Myth, Art
The remarkable relationship between people and horses has been evoked in art from the beginning of the bond between them. In this beautifully illustrated book, Catherine Johns explores the horse in art from the ancient world to the modern era.
In early human history, horses were among the wild creatures hunted for meat; they were domesticated comparatively late, around 4000 b.c. As people developed from hunter-gatherers to farmers, the horse offered the potential for a revolution in power and transport--the ability to move farther and faster transformed society. Johns tells the story of the horse and highlights the key roles this animal has played in human warfare, travel, ceremony, hunting, racing, and in myth and symbolism.
The themes are presented in stunning four-color illustrations of British Museum objects that trace our perceptions of the horse through time and space, and convey the wide variety of images that have been created of this magnificent creature: in colossal and life-sized sculpture, in paintings, and in minuscule form on coins, gems, and jewelry; and from the world of ancient Greece and Rome to the arts of India, Africa, China, and Japan.
Horses appear in stone and metal, ceramic, wood, bone, ivory, and textiles. From the Horse of Selene and a gold model chariot from the Oxus treasure to Persian miniatures and prints by Duerer, Stubbs, and Hokusai, this book will inform, entertain, and delight horse lovers and all readers interested in this inspiring animal and its profound contribution to human culture.
Amazon Price: $23.10 (as of 09/05/2008)
Stubbs & the Horse
George Stubbs is considered by many to be the best horse painter ever. His horses were stunningly alive in his paintings. A versatile genius whose oeuvre includes paintings, engravings, and detailed anatomical studies, George Stubbs (1724-1806) was fascinated by horses. This handsome book presents for the first time the wide range of his equine imagery, from refined portraits of racehorses to violent scenes of horses attacked by lions in the wild.
Amazon Price: $31.50 (as of 09/05/2008)
The Horse in Art
The horse is an icon of civilization. Man has long depended on the horse in farming, transportation, war, religion, and exploration, and as a consequence we have a wonderfully rich legacy of horses depicted in art. This spectacular book presents the horse in its many roles since its discovery and domestication until the present day.
Distinguished author John Baskett begins with the horse in ancient civilizations, including masterpieces from Asia, and then discusses the horse in the Middle Ages, in which the animal was bred for warfare and agriculture and is represented in such scenes as the Bayeaux Tapestry. Renaissance artists, whose interest in horses was as great as that for the human form, are then discussed, evidence of which is shown in the skillful drawings of Leonardo da Vinci. The 17th century brought beautiful examples of naturalism from such masters as Peter Paul Rubens, while George Stubbs became the premier horse painter in 18th-century England. Works by Americans George Catlin and Frederic Remington are also explored, along with exquisite miniatures of natural scenes produced by Persian and Mughal painters from varying periods.
Amazon Price: $29.70 (as of 09/05/2008)
The Anatomy of the Horse
George Stubbs was one of Britain's most innovative artists. Such is the present reputation of his paintings, with their astonishingly convincing renderings of both animals and people, that it is easy to forget how much of his success was based on rigorous scientific observation. In 1756, Stubbs rented a remote farmhouse, where he erected a scaffolding to hold the cadavers of horses as he dissected and drew them. After 18 months of single-minded dedication, Stubbs produced the drawings for The Anatomy of the Horse, which he later etched himself. The result was a sensation. Letters of congratulation poured in from scientists all over Europe, amazed not only at the perfection of the finished work, but that it had been produced without patronage. It remained a textbook for artists and scientists for well over a century, and to this day, the strange, spare beauty of these prints continue to fascinate.
Amazon Price: $15.56 (as of 09/05/2008)
Great Horse Stuff on eBay
eBay must be the biggest auction site in the world. It is full of horse products as well.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
History on Amazon
Lascaux: Movement, Space and Time
Amazon Price: $50.96 (as of 09/05/2008)
Reader Feedback
I would be glad to hear from you horse art lovers who visit my lense. Drop a line to say hi :)
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Enfys
Hi Leena Posted February 08, 2008 |
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lovemybob
Beautiful work, and great variety of information! Welcome to The Painting Group! Posted February 07, 2008 |
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Sebas_Martin
This lens is a MUST for horses lovers! Posted February 07, 2008 |
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DonnaChaffins
OMG, I love your 'In The Wind' poster! You're very talented! 5-Stars - very informative lens! Posted February 07, 2008 |
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Bonfire46
Your paintings are gorgeous! What talent, what expression - thanks for sharing. Posted February 07, 2008 |
