perusing Wiki Commons galleries of painters one may come across many detailed images, not even available in print, of masters not of high notoriety and popularity in our day and age.
One of such masters may be Geertgen tot Sint Jans, a second half of XV century painter from the northern Burgundian realm prematurely deceased at the very young age of 28, author of very few surviving works (perhaps iconoclastic protestants destroyed his art during the period of Reformation in the Low Countries), but especially of this famous painting John the Baptist in the Wilderness - if you are a student of the Late Gothic art , Low Countries of the late Middle Ages or religious art in general.
Well, let me turn your attention to his art showing horse and rider -
From the Adoration of the Magi (circa 1480 in Vienna) comes this beautiful detail
From a another beautiful Adoration piece (148-5, at the Rijksmuseum ) - come these details
In both paintings we get to see the New Testament subject matter which is indisputable, but then paying closer attention to the second plane/background we get a glimpse of the XV century riding style, i.e., long legs, curb-bits, tack and saddles, and robust Medieval horses. Now, we are in the Low countries, the homeland of the Dutch and Friesian horses, yet we see grays, bays, bucksin and palominos here... then perhaps so adored presently black Friesian horse was bred later, during the XVIII century or so?
Enjoy
