I went to Venice and naturally had to see the San Marco Cathedral Basilica and the famous horses.
enjoy
Monday, June 29, 2015
San Marco horses
Salve,
I went to Venice and naturally had to see the San Marco Cathedral Basilica and the famous horses.
You can seem more pictures on Wikimedia Commons
enjoy
I went to Venice and naturally had to see the San Marco Cathedral Basilica and the famous horses.
enjoy
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Diego Velazquez and his horses
Salve,
some years ago I lived in Madrid , and there my favorite place to visit was El Museo del Prado with the adjacent parque del Retiro, probably the largest collection of the European XVI-XVIII century paintings.( I also liked the parque del Oeste in Moncloa).
Diego Velazquez, native son of the Imperial, Habsburg Spain, is one of the stars of that museum, and I frequently stood in front of his canvasses looking and admiring...
Nowadays, with the Internet and Wikipedia, and Google etc, we can view the art on our computers et al, and I would like to take this opportunity to 'corral' some of the horses our esteemed Sevilla-born don Diego created with his brushes on canvass.
Mind you, Andalucia was the land of good horses in the Hapsburg Spain, and in the not-so-distant Cordoba there was the most famous Royal Horse Stud that had been breeding the pure Spanish horses since 1570s.
Perhaps we can presume that the horses here are the Baroque steeds, but there are some interesting aspects of these mounts, and in some further entries I should explore them. For now I would like to point to you the size of these royal and aristocratic mounts - they look about 15 hands, or so.
Kings
Felipe III
Felipe IV
Queens
Isabel
royal child - Baltasar Carlos de Austria
officials -
Gaspar de Guzman, conde de Olivares
Cardinal-Infante Fernando
enjoy
Waterloo 1815-2015
Salve,
this weened thousands of reenactors and spectators from around the Europe and perhaps the world celebrated the 200 anniversary of the Waterloo campaign.
I have never been a Napoleonic reenactor, but I do love seeing these painstakingly reconstructed uniforms, arms, horse tack and other equipment of this colorful period; it makes my day to watch - via videos and photos - the men and women (some on horseback) marching, camping and fighting mock battles from the Age of Napoleon.
Hence, I think this great gathering of Napoleonic reenactors in Belgium will be remembered as yet another triumph of the reenactment movement in Europe, and the very fine occasion to cherish the martial traditions of Europe.
I have laready seen some great photos -
Andreas Springer photographer, Waterloo 2015 , le citoyen de Waterloo, Schlacht von Waterloo , Thomason Photography etc
Painting - panorama of the battle - via Wikimedia Commons
enjoy
ps
historic paintings and prints from Wikimedia Commons
Monday, June 15, 2015
Two horsemen of David
Salve,
Jacques-Louis David is a famous painter of the late XVIII and beginning of XIX centuries, master of portraits, historical paintings, and mythological scenes.
In my corralling of horse images from the annales of history and art, two works of monsieur David come to shine.
Chronologically, the portrait of our Polish aristocrat Stanisław Kostka Potocki and then the more famous one, being the image of a man who shaped the modern Europe, l'empereur of the French, Napoleon Bonaparte.
The equestrian portrait of Potocki, Pilawa coat of arms, was sketched and started in Rome, where our Stanislaw was living at the time (1779-80) and fished in Paris, at David's atelier. It represents, according to Luc de Nanteuil[1] - author of an album on David, a history portrait. This work is 'simultaneously realistic and heroic,' and David having studied the Antiquity and Masters comes with an idea of painting the nature anew- that is 'clean colors, sharp outlines and noble composition' - 'nature idealized.'
The rider is wearing an 'informal dress, looking proud, gay[joyful] and exhilarated,' displaying complete authority and prowess of an accomplished horseman. He is seating in atypical 'French' saddle of the period but very expensive example, proper for a young aristocrat. His legs are extended completely with his stirrups' leathers long while the reins of the curb bit are relaxed. Together an perfect rider - ecuyer complete.
I am curious about the horse. It is a muscular stallion, multicolored coat, his colors are of a fashion preferred by the Polish nobility at the time. Perhaps it is a horse from his own stud, perhaps a Polish horse?
Napoleon - this equestrian portrait is very different from from the Potocki. Painted in 1800-01 (one of five, this one is the Chateau de Malmaison one), after the famous Marengo campaign, it is an apotheosis of new Hannibal and Charlemagne, who while crossing the Alps amid raging storm is about to descend on the Northern Italy and conquer it for France and himself. In fact First Consul crossed the Alps on a mule, the most surefooted mountain traveler, in a calm, mountain weather, but he made a demand on David to paint him 'calm, mounted on a fiery steed" (Calme sur un cheval fougueux ).
There is a mixture of realism and theatrical fantasy, eg the uniform is the one Napoloen wore at Marengo, obtained by the painter from Napleon's valet de chambre. The rider is very different from our Potocki, completely indifferent to his rearing mount, he is a master and hero, his eyes are meant to 'blaze like bolts of lightning that pierce through the storm and subdue the ,maelstrom'.
The horse is a paint, and one of many horses Napoloen possessed and rode. we see very little of the saddle, just a saddle skirt, but most of the tack is there, the crouper and breast plate, wide cinch, small chabraque, French military bridle of the period with double reins (for curb bit and snaffle), we see no third rein or halter. The horse has long mane and tail, beautifully rendered by the master painter. Napoleon was an artillery man and never a dashing horseman like some of his soldiers, but in this painting he is master, but in an Antiquity style, very mythical and unconvincing.
The rider's position is more akin to the antiquity method employed while riding without stirrups, most famously shown by the sculptures of Parthenon or the relieves of the Alexander sarcophagus than to the typical technique employed by the riders and cavalrymen of the period, linking our heroic First Consul with the ancient heroes and their immortal fame. Hence, all 'Hollywood', propaganda with a dash of reality :)
Enjoy
[1] Luc de Nanteuil, David, New York, 1990
Jacques-Louis David is a famous painter of the late XVIII and beginning of XIX centuries, master of portraits, historical paintings, and mythological scenes.
In my corralling of horse images from the annales of history and art, two works of monsieur David come to shine.
Chronologically, the portrait of our Polish aristocrat Stanisław Kostka Potocki and then the more famous one, being the image of a man who shaped the modern Europe, l'empereur of the French, Napoleon Bonaparte.
The equestrian portrait of Potocki, Pilawa coat of arms, was sketched and started in Rome, where our Stanislaw was living at the time (1779-80) and fished in Paris, at David's atelier. It represents, according to Luc de Nanteuil[1] - author of an album on David, a history portrait. This work is 'simultaneously realistic and heroic,' and David having studied the Antiquity and Masters comes with an idea of painting the nature anew- that is 'clean colors, sharp outlines and noble composition' - 'nature idealized.'
The rider is wearing an 'informal dress, looking proud, gay[joyful] and exhilarated,' displaying complete authority and prowess of an accomplished horseman. He is seating in atypical 'French' saddle of the period but very expensive example, proper for a young aristocrat. His legs are extended completely with his stirrups' leathers long while the reins of the curb bit are relaxed. Together an perfect rider - ecuyer complete.
I am curious about the horse. It is a muscular stallion, multicolored coat, his colors are of a fashion preferred by the Polish nobility at the time. Perhaps it is a horse from his own stud, perhaps a Polish horse?
Napoleon - this equestrian portrait is very different from from the Potocki. Painted in 1800-01 (one of five, this one is the Chateau de Malmaison one), after the famous Marengo campaign, it is an apotheosis of new Hannibal and Charlemagne, who while crossing the Alps amid raging storm is about to descend on the Northern Italy and conquer it for France and himself. In fact First Consul crossed the Alps on a mule, the most surefooted mountain traveler, in a calm, mountain weather, but he made a demand on David to paint him 'calm, mounted on a fiery steed" (Calme sur un cheval fougueux ).
There is a mixture of realism and theatrical fantasy, eg the uniform is the one Napoloen wore at Marengo, obtained by the painter from Napleon's valet de chambre. The rider is very different from our Potocki, completely indifferent to his rearing mount, he is a master and hero, his eyes are meant to 'blaze like bolts of lightning that pierce through the storm and subdue the ,maelstrom'.
The horse is a paint, and one of many horses Napoloen possessed and rode. we see very little of the saddle, just a saddle skirt, but most of the tack is there, the crouper and breast plate, wide cinch, small chabraque, French military bridle of the period with double reins (for curb bit and snaffle), we see no third rein or halter. The horse has long mane and tail, beautifully rendered by the master painter. Napoleon was an artillery man and never a dashing horseman like some of his soldiers, but in this painting he is master, but in an Antiquity style, very mythical and unconvincing.
The rider's position is more akin to the antiquity method employed while riding without stirrups, most famously shown by the sculptures of Parthenon or the relieves of the Alexander sarcophagus than to the typical technique employed by the riders and cavalrymen of the period, linking our heroic First Consul with the ancient heroes and their immortal fame. Hence, all 'Hollywood', propaganda with a dash of reality :)
Enjoy
[1] Luc de Nanteuil, David, New York, 1990
Sunday, June 14, 2015
O wyginięciu rasy konia polskiego - Radoslaw Sikora
Salve,
bardzo udany, moim zdaniem, artykul dr Sikory o koniu polskim konca Rzeczypospolitej Obojga Narodow, i o domniemanych powodach jego wyginiecia opublikowany na portal kresy
Jedrzej Kitowicz pisal w swoim 'Opisie Obyczajow.. o koniach polskich, woloskich i ukrainskich uzywanych w zaprzegach:
''Cug koni kiedy miał być paradny, powinne były być wszystkie sześć koni rosłe, piękne, jednakowej szerści i jednakowej więzi, czyli jednakowego składu; najbardziej dobierano, aby łby miały równej proporcji, aby karki równo załomywały, nie trzymając jeden wyżej, drugi niżej, żeby nogi miały gładkie i zbieranie nóg kształtne; taki cug był w najpierwszym szacunku. Dobierano do takiego koni dzielnych wierszchowych tureckich, angielskich, wołoskich, ukraińskich i polskich stadnych; i te gatunki koni były w używaniu pierwszych lat panowania Augusta III; potem zarzucili polskie, tureckie i ukraińskie konie, z przyczyny że do figury karet zbyt wysokich zdawały się małe do wielkiej parady, która wszystkiego wielkiego i ogromnego wyciągała. Więc się udali do wielkich szkap niemieckich, duńskich, meklemburskich, pruskich i saskich, jako też i hiszpańskich. A że te konie miały nogę grubą i kosmatą, więc ją szkłem skrobano, aby się wydawała gładka i cienka.''
Fragmenty z artykulu:
ps
fragment obrazu przedstawiajacego elekcje elektora saskiego Augusta Wettyna na tron polski, po smierci Jana III Sobieskiego, w 1697 roku, autorstwa italskiego malarza Marcina Altomonte.
bardzo udany, moim zdaniem, artykul dr Sikory o koniu polskim konca Rzeczypospolitej Obojga Narodow, i o domniemanych powodach jego wyginiecia opublikowany na portal kresy
''Cug koni kiedy miał być paradny, powinne były być wszystkie sześć koni rosłe, piękne, jednakowej szerści i jednakowej więzi, czyli jednakowego składu; najbardziej dobierano, aby łby miały równej proporcji, aby karki równo załomywały, nie trzymając jeden wyżej, drugi niżej, żeby nogi miały gładkie i zbieranie nóg kształtne; taki cug był w najpierwszym szacunku. Dobierano do takiego koni dzielnych wierszchowych tureckich, angielskich, wołoskich, ukraińskich i polskich stadnych; i te gatunki koni były w używaniu pierwszych lat panowania Augusta III; potem zarzucili polskie, tureckie i ukraińskie konie, z przyczyny że do figury karet zbyt wysokich zdawały się małe do wielkiej parady, która wszystkiego wielkiego i ogromnego wyciągała. Więc się udali do wielkich szkap niemieckich, duńskich, meklemburskich, pruskich i saskich, jako też i hiszpańskich. A że te konie miały nogę grubą i kosmatą, więc ją szkłem skrobano, aby się wydawała gładka i cienka.''
Fragmenty z artykulu:
„Koń Polski wzrostu
miernego, ale silny, składny, szypki w biegu, w pracy niepożyty, w
iedzy pomierney, a przeto do znoszenia woiennych prac y niewygod
bardzo sposobny, stał się koniecznie potrzebny Sąsiedzkiem
Potencyom do letkiey iazdy którą coraz bardziey pomnażaią. Co y
iakich by nie wprowadzało do kraiów kapitałów? ale po odpadnieniu
w wieku przeszłym [czyli XVII]
wielkiey części
Ukrainy, y nowych kraiów naszych rozerwaniu [chodzi o pierwszy
rozbiór Polski], z mnieyszyło się bardzo tych wybornych koni
gniazdo, które ostatnie domowe zawieruchy [konfederacja barska]
ledwie nie doszczętu wytępiły. Już teraz nie tylko dla woysk
postronnych, ale nawet y dla naszego, z Ukrainy Moskiewskiey [czyli
wchodzącej w skład Rosji] konie po większey części kupuią.”
''Bardzo wyraźnie widać spadek pogłowia końskiego, jaki miał miejsce po 1768 roku. Z drugim spadkiem mamy do czynienia pod koniec XVIII w. Ten drugi ma związek z ostatnim rozbiorem Polski. Pisał o tym Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, który w latach 1777 – 1778 był adiutantem księcia Adama Kazimierza Czartoryskiego, właściciela tych dóbr. W latach 1823 – 1825 uwiecznił na papierze swoje wspomnienia, które opublikowano w 1958 roku. Niemcewicz opisał w nich drogę, którą pod koniec 1794 roku był prowadzony do carskiej niewoli. Przy tej okazji wspomniał:
„Niedaleko stamtąd[13] było sławne stado księcia [Adama Kazimierza Czartoryskiego] z tysiąca klaczy i stu pięćdziesięciu ogierów polskich, arabskich, hiszpańskich, angielskich złożone. Zapewne tak piękne i tak liczne stado nie znajdowało się nigdzie. Wszystko skradzione lub sprzedane było na skarb wielkomyślnej Katarzyny za najpodlejszą cenę.”
fragment obrazu przedstawiajacego elekcje elektora saskiego Augusta Wettyna na tron polski, po smierci Jana III Sobieskiego, w 1697 roku, autorstwa italskiego malarza Marcina Altomonte.
Ottoman horses of Johannes Stradanus
Salve,
nice weather outside so a quick set of horse images from the XVI century. Ottoman Empire stretched then from North Africa to Persia, from the plains of Hungary to Arabian Peninsula, and many types of horses (Italian 'razza' or race as the concept of a breed was then introduced by the Italians) were bred within these ancient horse breeding lands.
These images were drawn by Johannes Stradanus, a painter from the Spanish Flanders, and then engraved - some by a Flemish master Adriaen Collaert and others by a Dutch artist Hieronymus Wierix, and published by Philip Galle.
They come from a set of prints titled 'Equile Ioannis austriaci' and published in a book form in Antwerp in 1578. They are supposedly the horses from the stable of Don Juan of Austria, bastard son of Carlos V, military commander and the governor of Flanders. A set from the British Museum, nota bene an image of a pacing horse, then a set from Spanish Biblioteca Nacional - Biblioteca Digital Hispanica.
enjoy
ps
interesujacy wypis u pana Jacka
nice weather outside so a quick set of horse images from the XVI century. Ottoman Empire stretched then from North Africa to Persia, from the plains of Hungary to Arabian Peninsula, and many types of horses (Italian 'razza' or race as the concept of a breed was then introduced by the Italians) were bred within these ancient horse breeding lands.
These images were drawn by Johannes Stradanus, a painter from the Spanish Flanders, and then engraved - some by a Flemish master Adriaen Collaert and others by a Dutch artist Hieronymus Wierix, and published by Philip Galle.
They come from a set of prints titled 'Equile Ioannis austriaci' and published in a book form in Antwerp in 1578. They are supposedly the horses from the stable of Don Juan of Austria, bastard son of Carlos V, military commander and the governor of Flanders. A set from the British Museum, nota bene an image of a pacing horse, then a set from Spanish Biblioteca Nacional - Biblioteca Digital Hispanica.
enjoy
ps
interesujacy wypis u pana Jacka
Thursday, June 11, 2015
JAZDA ZACIĘŻNA KRÓLESTWA POLSKIEGO W XV WIEKU
Salve,
today I am announcing a newbook, new to me at least, on the subject of Polish XV century mercenary cavalry written by a scholar from the University of Łódź, Tadeusz Grabarczyk Ph.D., titled 'Jazda zaciężna Królestwa Polskiego w XV wieku, [Mercenary horse of the Polish Kingdom], published in Łódź, this winter 2015. Dr Grabarczyk is the author of 'Piechota zaciężna Królestwa Polskiego w XV wieku (The Mercenary Infantry of Polish Kingdom), published in Łódź AD 2000.
I have not read the book but just the preview available on academia.edu , and I find it awfully interesting, important and a must for me.
It covers the period 1409-1500, and it is a study of organization, arms and armor, finishing with some examples of battle performance etc.
I will have to order my copy, but I learned from this discussion that this was a very small publication.
There is this review in Polish - SMDBiB
Many thanks to my friend, author and researcher Michał Chlipała for letting me know about this publication. a review of his book on the Armenian armies during the Crusades period is here.
enjoy
ps
Images from the Holy Cross Chapel at the Wawel Castle Cathedral - 1460s-1470s - from the Cracow school of painters
Monday, June 8, 2015
Miroslaw Szeib - a Winged Hussar Charge
Salve,
Miroslaw Szeib sent me a different version of his Winged Hussar charge canvass, so I am happy to share this photo with you
enjoy
Miroslaw Szeib sent me a different version of his Winged Hussar charge canvass, so I am happy to share this photo with you
enjoy
Mariano Fortuny - Orientalism
Salve,
I have always liked drawings and etchings by Mariano José María Bernardo Fortuny y Marsal, but now we can admire some of his paintings via Wikimedia Commons, eg paintings.
I prefer the works connected to the Orientalism genre so potent in the European art during the XIX century, and so they are attached below.
The battle of Tetuan is his most monumental work
another being the battle of Wad-Rass
however, I also like these other works done later, after don Mariano's voyage to Morocco during the Spanish-Moroccan war 1859-60, and just great.
enjoy
ps
I've started watching Major Dundee, looking mostly at the camera work and photography
I have always liked drawings and etchings by Mariano José María Bernardo Fortuny y Marsal, but now we can admire some of his paintings via Wikimedia Commons, eg paintings.
I prefer the works connected to the Orientalism genre so potent in the European art during the XIX century, and so they are attached below.
The battle of Tetuan is his most monumental work
another being the battle of Wad-Rass
however, I also like these other works done later, after don Mariano's voyage to Morocco during the Spanish-Moroccan war 1859-60, and just great.
enjoy
ps
I've started watching Major Dundee, looking mostly at the camera work and photography