Sunday, August 16, 2026

Death on Horseback chasing a Flying Knight - S. Vrancx

Salvete Omnes,

from the collections of the Cleveland Museum of Art -
a drawing (c. 1631AD) by the Flemish master Sebastian Vrancx- Death on Horseback chasing a Flying night.

there is a text that translated reads - No man is so clever, nor animal so swift, Death overtakes them all.


Splendid mustache on the flying knight

. The flying horseman does not appear as a Western (Flemish, Spanish, French or German) knight, but pretty much an Eastern European - Polish, Hungarian or Croatian light horseman. Although he does not have a cravat like the fables Croatian riders did, so perhaps a Polish or Hungarian equues

Curb-bit with some very long shanks
He is wielding with a nadziak or horseman pick, while Death fires a pistol at the flying rider.
He has a pair of pistols (we see one in a holster) and powder flask at the belt (and presumably a long firearm hanging on his pendant), a sabre at the side and a broadsword under the thigh. 
His booted feet are firmly placed in the typical Eastern European stirrups, and his half-calf boots end with rowel spurs.
All and all a Polish or Hungarian light cavalry officer or companion.

 

the end of his long firearm visible under the horse's belly

enjoy

Valete 

3 comments:

Dario T. W. said...

this evening, 7pm Italy, they raced their horses the famous Palio di Siena https://x.com/mamboitaliano__/status/2088967336594174456

Dario T. W. said...

https://dariocaballeros.blogspot.com/2022/10/palio-di-siena-august-2022-race-1988.html

Dario T. W. said...

https://www.tpi.it/sport/palio-di-siena-16-agosto-2026-vincitore-chi-ha-vinto-risultato-202608161248976/ https://www.comune.siena.it/novita/palio-16-agosto-la-lupa-vince-la-provaccia