Horses of master Martin

Salvete Omnes,

 Surviving works of master Martin Schongauer (circa 1450-1491) present the wide panorama of the artistic skills of one of the most skilled artists of the Northern Renaissance.

Master Martin was famous for the renderings of the Virgin Mary and numerous saints.

But we will just concentrate on his horse iconography -

from the print- Christ bearing the Cross -

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2nd print -
battle of Clavijo circa 844 Ad, during the Reconquista - exceptional combination of master Martin artistic skills and his knowledge of horse and its body (considering the time period, i.e., XV century.

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Santiago or Saint James of Spain 

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Adarga shields and lances of the Moorish warriors

enjoy 

Valete  

Adoration of Magi - Art Institute of Chicago

 Salvete Omnes,

continuing on the subject of the Epiphany and Adoration of  Magi in the pre-modern arts, a tondo by Raffaelo Botticini (1474-died after1520) from the Art Institute of Chicago. 

this tempera was painted circa 1495 and reflects equestrianism of the Florentine, Tuscany, and northern Italy styles and preferences for horses and tack. 
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enjoy

Valete

Easter AD 2025

 Salvete Omnes,

Raphael Santi's Resurrection , currently in Brazil 

it is a beautiful Sunday - Easter Sunday 

happy Easter - wesolego Aleluja, Chrystus zmartwychwstał! Prawdziwie zmartwychwstał  - Χριστὸς ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη! 

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and a very interesting 1420s (XV century) northern German painting of Crucifixion, unknown master

. we can observe wide (woven?) cinches,  richly decorated bridles and tack,  dyed-leather large pommel and cattle saddles with skirts, rowel spur, long-leg ridding with heavy stirrups, and their riding attire of  the period. The gray stallion has his forelock gathered and tied up (Eastern or steppe fashion).

enjoy

Valete

Jan Mostaert's horses p.II

 Salvete Omnes,

Equestrian details from this portrait

in 2020   I posted some equestrian related works by master Jan Monstaer - here the link to my full posting.

detail from this painting - generalized view of a palfrey or riding horse harness 

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variety of early XVI century harness 

the whole wing of the Triptych 

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in this portrait late Medieval equitation on display 

this painting  unfortunately I have no larger resolution in color  - as the harness details are splendid 

But I found B& W photo at the National Museum in Warsaw - 

splendid mule harness

bridle arrangement

enjoy

Valete

Semana Santa in full swing - with a Crucifixion by Conrad Laib

 Salvete Omnes,

let us pray for peace and end of human suffering around the world as the Easter holiday is upon us.

we, in the Catholic Christianity, are in the Semana Santa - Holy Week/Swiety Tydzien, aleady in the third day of this last day of Lent.
Last year I did a post  about Semena Santa in Spain and Palm-frond like arrangements - you can take a look here.

And  I would like to share this Crucifixion by Conrad Laib (c.1410-1460), active in Salzburg, Holy Germany Empire. 

Apart from the religious subject matter and artistic value, this work contains lots of information about the horses, horse tack and armor and even weapons of the era.

Bridles, spurs, stirrups, bits - a bonanza of material culture .

here clearly a white mule, animal for clergy, with a very sumptuous bridle an saddle  

a do watch again the famous masterpiece - 'The Passion of the Christ' by Mel Gibson (or any other film about the Passion of Christ) 

Valete

A little more of XV century Epiphany

 Salvete Omnes,

since this is the Epiphany weekend, so   let us enjoy  it as it lasts, with snow and wind around and around, and more medieval imagery.

In this post-   the Northern Renaissance master Hans Pleydenwurff painted this  Three Kings altar   for the Saint Lawrence church in Nuremberg.

The altar's central panel is the most interesting per this blog's equestrian theme. We have a cornucopia of horse tack, saddles and riding equipment - very interesting for further study. 

enjoy

valete

Pinturicchio's horses from the Duomo di Siena

 Salvete Omnes,

the Old Year is coming to close, we have the last weekend of the Old Year ahead of us, and then perhaps a better year will arrive.

So today let us enjoy some fine frescoes from the  Piccolomini Library of the  Sienna Cathedral - painted by maestro Pinturicchio and his workshop. 

Maestro Pinturicchio, born Bernardino de Betto  in Perugia, Umbria in 1454AD,  was active during the  remainder of  the XV century until his death in 1513AD. 

so maestro Pinturicchio worked in Sienna on the Piccolomini Library frescoes, monumental paintings showing the story of bishop Enea Piccolomini, who would eventually become pope Pious II, (died in 1464AD).  Cardinal  Francesco T. Piccolomini, future pope Pious III, commissioned Pinturicchio and his crew to paint these stories as frescoes. Pinturiccho  executed these paintings  between 1502-1507AD. \

Ad rem, the horses & riders and ... some dogs

Raffaelle Santi aka Raphael drew this plate 

Enea Silvio Piccolomini leaving for the Council of Basel - 

on the roan horse  there is a gilded curb-bit, large riding saddle, breastplate and sumptuous crouper but steel stirrups

Enea on a gray stallion, very sparse saddle skirt, but a large curb-bit bridle

a favorite greyhound? 

horses and mule are all shod

Enea Piccolomini presenting Eleanora/Eleanor of Portugal to the emperor Fredrich/Frederick  III . In this panel there are more horses, another mule, 

a rider accompanied by a piper and an armed assistant 

A black spirited mule with a fine greed bridle, in the background a noble rider with his armed assistant or page?

variety of horse heads and bridles, curb-bits, and a horse trumpeter 

Enea Piccolomini himself as imagined ? by the artists, with a dark grey horse with a high saddle 

beautiful Eleanor of Portugal and her equally beautiful ladies in waiting, two grey horses in the background  

enjoy

Valete