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 

Stefano Della Bella's Allegory of Death on horseback

 Salvete Omnes,

the end of Spring is coming up in the next 4 weeks (or like in the US, Springs ends and Summer begins with this Memorial Day Monday weekend) but the terrible war in Europe between the Russian Federation and Ukraine supported logistically, with intelligence & especially with Starlinks by US & EU shows no signs of abating. Recently Ukrainian (the war in the Persian Gulf seems to have better prospects of ending). Several nights ago Ukrainian drones hit a college dormitory in Starobilsk, Luhansk province, and in retaliation (?) for the studnets/kids deaths and injuries  the Russian drones and rockets bombarded Kiev/Kyiv (in Polish: Kijow) and other targets across Ukraine last night.

 
Longer this war lasts more dangerous and bestial it will become (more on the level of the Israeli wars in Palestine), until reaching the next level as the potential nuclear arms use could be looming on the horizon in Europe. 
so in the spirit of deadly dangers and the utmost & urgent need for peace in Europe (devoid of any real leadership on the part of EU) - allegorical images of Death by Stefano della Bella.

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let us hope the Death will not triumph across Europe like it is shown  in the paintings by Pieter Breugel the Elder (in Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain) and the Younger .

ps

the famous XV century  'Triumph of Death'  fresco from Palermo, Sicily, we will save for another day.

Valete

Aegidus Sadeler, print maker - horses, cariages & pack animals

 Salvete Omnes,

Aegidius Sadeler (1570-1629) - was a Flemish printmaker who was  active in  Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, working for the Holy Roman emperors and their court.

From the  Sadeler's Views of the Ancient Rome, Tivoli, Possuoli etc ( Wiki Commons Rijksmuseum collection) I 'corralled' some horse/mule/donkey/carriage related imagery -  

enjoy

Valete

Horses & bits - Jacob Jordaens

 Salvete Omnes,

Christmas is around the corner, so to speak, and let us canter to an atelier of a Flemish master Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678) from Antwerp, who is well known for his numerous mythological and religious paintings. Unusually for that time period and cultural milieu Jacob had only teacher, Adam van Noort, who also taught Peter Paul Rubens. 

But as my blog goes I will limit my gallery of Jordaens to his equestrian themed works:

huge shanks on the curb-bits

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rohatyna or boar spear, hunting spear

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tapestry design 

enjoy

Valete