Pieter Coecke van Aelst - Customs and Manners of the Turks

 Salvete Omnes,

Suleiman the Magnificent 

the XVI century Flemish architect and artist (see the list of his mastery) Pieter Coecke van Aelst  produced a freeze-like series of 10 prints titled - Ces Moeurs et fachons de faire de Turcz (Customs and Fashions of the Turks)  - circa 1550sAD.

 

sultan Suleyman's court in procession

The prints are very pleasing  esthetically and show maestry of composition, anatomy and knowledge of proportions etc, they are also very precise in detail and contain a wealth of information about the Ottomans and their empire. 

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Three world preeminent art centers- London's British Museum, NYC Metropolitan Museum and Amsterdam's Rijks Museum possess at least three different sets of these prints. 

Enjoy

Valete

Philips Wouwerman - the Nativity related works

 Salvete Omnes,

Christmas has passed but the holiday season is still on  until January 6.

So I would like to bring to your attention two works by Philips Wouwerman.
these two works deal with the often omitted shepherds. Very much a Baroque painting in full 'gallop' - dramatic light, 

as usual we are very much interested in horses

pack saddle on the ground, next to the donkey 

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Dresden Gallery has had a version of this Annunciation.

description of the painting and author - from Christie's site

another shepherds Annunciation painting from the National Gallery of Ireland.

and yet another Annunciation to the Shepherds painting - Koetser Gallery (large resolution with great details)

In addition two more works dealing with the travel on foot, on horseback or donkey-or-mule back. 

Valete

Wouwerman - a scene with a saddled horse and wagon

 Salvete Omnes,

three days to Christmas' Eve - we have to go get the Christmas tree today. 

while perusing Wiki Commons I came across this drawing by Philips Wouwerman - originally this artwork comes from the German state collection.  

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the saddled horse is interesting - long, strong legged and rather hunter-like, long tail and of a round belly, a picture perfect cavalry horse? 

here I colorized, gently, the saddle and his tack, and the huge 'mantelsack' (?) on the back of the pack horse.

 

nota bene the draft horse pulling this wagon carriage have some serious collars. 
enjoy

Valete