Chodowiecki - a Pole at the Prussian court

Salvete Omnes,
a little entry of Daniel Chodowiecki, a prolific artist active in the Prussian Berlin. Maestro Daniel was from Gdansk (Danzig, the most important Polish sea port and important cultural and economic center on the Baltic Pomeranian coast, staunchly with  the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in spite of its large ethnic German population), and very very proud of his 'Polishness' although he lived and worked at the Prussian capital most of his rather long life.
He drew and etched many prints , including book illustrations - you can peruse them on wiki commons. These images offer lots of information on the daily life in Central Europe at his times (most of the XVIII century).



Both Prussia and Polish Commonwealth bred plenty of horses, Prussian kinds often buying horses for their ever growing armies, and after the Partitions of Poland (Prussia took the most important - in terms of ethnic Poles -  of all Polish lands between 1772-195) taking over many fine studs and breeding material from Polish horse stock.



 



note the small horses working the plow
 
 
 horse training and cavalry


 
 
 these may be old Polish cavalry - or some Polish units in Prussian service


 famous cavalryman von Zieten
 
 
 

Daniel knew and drew the Old Polish costume - there are a few here





 
 
 

a Polish stable

finally the soldier of Gdansk garrison - the mounted dragoon leading his horse and a nobleman on the right

valete

ps
He also illustrated the events taking place during the American Revolution.