Horses have always been admired for their beauty, loyalty and versatility. It’s for these reasons that these animals have been the core subject in the artworks of many artists. And with dozens of breeds available, it’s easy to see why any artist would be interested in portraying the character of this majestic creature in art form. Read on as we explore the most famous horse paintings in history.
Most Popular Paintings of Horses
1. Whistlejacket
- Artist: George Stubbs
- Date of painting: 1762
- Where you can see it: The National Gallery, Central London, England
Horses are considered an icon around the world, and it’s easy to see why. These animals excel in virtually any activity they take part in. Whether it’s a military venture, agricultural work or as a means of transport, you can rely on it to play its part.
It is no wonder renowned artist George Stubbs wanted to showcase their versatility with a painting. It’s believed that the particular horse shown here was the famous racehorse owned by the Marquess of Rockingham.
An interesting fact about Stubbs is that he was a self-taught artist and painter from scratch. He learned to create stunning art pieces by examining the work of some of the greatest artists like Gainsborough and Reynolds.
Although this artist didn’t have any professional background in painting, he studied anatomy. It is this knowledge that enabled him to paint remarkable horse pictures such as this one in a galloping state.
2. Napoleon Crossing the Alps
- Artist: Jacques-Louis David
- Date of painting: 1801 to 1805
- Where you can see it: The Château de Malmaison, France
We cannot explain the history behind this horse painting without mentioning Napoleon Bonaparte. A political leader and French military, he’s credited with leading his army into victory multiple times.
By creating this painting, the artist wanted to commemorate Bonaparte’s voyage into the Swiss Alps when he tried to strengthen his army in northern Italy. More specifically, it’s a painting of Bonaparte riding his warhorse as he spearheads his troops in the snow-covered peaks of the mountain.
Read: 16 Stunning Italian Horse Breeds
In fact, you can even see his men in the background. The Napoleon Crossing the Alps was created by artist Jacques-Louis David. And although it’s one of his most prominent art works, it’s not the only one that this artist is known for.
Jacques-Louis David had portrayed such competence in painting horses that Napoleon appointed him as the first painter.
Specifically, Napoleon requested the artist to celebrate the inaugural ceremonies through his paintings. It is during this time that painted The Coronation of Napoleon and Presentation of the Standards.
3. La Femme au Cheval
- Artist: Jean Metzinger
- Date of painting: 1912
- Where you can see it: Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, Denmark
If you have the slightest experience or knowledge of art, then you’ve probably heard about cubism. This is a pattern of painting where the artist portrays the main subject in geometric forms, which are depicted from various vantage points.
One of the pioneers of cubic art was artist Jean Metzinger. Born in France, this artist is primarily known for his La Femme au Cheval painting.
At its core, it’s the image of a human and animal figure. But, given the complexity involved in the painting, it’s hard for the untrained eye to see this. It’s this level of sophistication that earned the artist a ton of praise. So much so that the painting was featured at the Salon des Indépendants, Paris, the same year it was painted.
Another reason why this painting became so famous is that it showcased multiple aspects of the primary subjects. This concept that he used to paint, went on to become one of the core tenets of cubism.
4. The Chinese Horse
- Artist: Not known
- Date of painting: 15,000 to 13,000 B.C
- Where you can see it: Montignac, France
This is another famous horse painting. Unfortunately, not much is known about the artist who painted it.
Wondering how this painting got its name? Well, the breed featured in the painting bears a striking resemblance to the horses shown in other drawings of the Chinese rich tradition.
Recommended Read: 14 Chinese Horse Breeds
This paleolithic artwork by the unknown artist can be found in the cave walls of Lascaux Cave. The cave that’s situated in Dordogne, France, is known for its array of other prehistoric artwork depicting human figures, wild creatures and abstract symbols.
In 1979, the Lascaux Caves received recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And although they were opened to the public for a while, they were later shut down for fear of damaging the prehistoric art.
Thankfully, a replica of this painting is available for viewing at Lascaux IV. This is an imitation of the caves, and it’s found close to the initial site in Montignac, France.
5. The 1821 Derby at Epsom
- Artist: Théodore Géricault
- Date of painting: 1821
- Where you can see it: The Louvre Museum, Paris
Among the many painters that hail from France, Théodore Géricault was the most famous, and understandably so. This artist created such remarkable masterpieces that captured the attention of everyone who saw them.
The painting that he’s particularly known for is the Raft of the Medusa. Painted in 1819, this art piece was first shown to the public at the Paris Salon.
What’s intriguing is that the painting evoked a lot of debate as it featured a realistic image of the wreck of the Medusa. According to Greek mythology, Medusa is the winged creature that ferried soldiers off the Senegalese coast.
As an artist, Géricault was also passionate about painting horses. So much so that in 1821, he was called upon to paint a horse racing event by Adam Elmore.
The painting of this racing scene is what people now know as the Derby at Epsom. It features four riders mounted on their horses, as they race at full speed.
There are a few other notable horse paintings done by this artist. They include Horse Head, Wounded Cuirassier Leaving the Field of Battle, and Riderless Racers in Rome.
6. Blue Horse I
- Artist: Franz Marc
- Date of painting: 1911
- Where you can see it: Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany
German-based painter and printmaker, Franz Moritz Wilhelm Marc, was the mastermind behind this famous horse painting. Marc was described by many as one of the leading figures of German Expressionism.
A quick glance at the Blue Horse 1 and it’s evident why it stands out from other artworks. Unlike other artists, Franz Marc did not shy away from using color. This is what enabled him to bring sensitivity to the paintings of animals, particularly horses.
In Blue Horse 1, Marc uses an array of colors, each of which represents something meaningful. Blue means masculinity, red represents the violence present in the world while yellow symbolizes femininity.
7. The Parade
- Artist: Edgar Degas
- Date of painting: 1868
- Where you can see it: Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France
Yet another one of the most popular horse paintings is this creation by Edgar Degas. This French painter is ranked among the best artists from the Impressionist Movement.
Initially, Edgar Degas was only known for his unconventional paintings of restaurants, and urban life in general.
What many didn’t know at the time is that horse races were an interesting subject for this artist as well. He got interested in horse painting following his excursion to Normandy (a famous horse breeding ranch in France).
It’s after this visit that he painted The Parade, also commonly known as Race Horses in front of the Tribunes.
The painting is a display of thoroughbred race horses getting ready to run. The complex and thrilling activity of horse racing remained a popular subject for numerous artists and art lovers throughout the 19th century.
8. The Horse Fair
- Artist: Rosa Bonheur
- Date of painting: 1853
- Where you can see it: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, USA
Back in the day, not a lot of female artists were recognized. But, Rosa Bonheur from France, became a force to reckon with after she created the Horse Fair painting.
Interestingly, this female artist rose to fame at a time when highly-acclaimed museums and academies deterred women from pursuing this discipline. However, this wasn’t too surprising considering most of her family members were prolific artists as well.
This artist began drawing animals at a very tender age. Overtime, she gained recognition as one of the best animal artists hailing from the Realism Era. Although she created many paintings, The Horse Fair is the one that she’s mostly known for.
She finished painting it in 1853, and in the same year, it was shown at the Paris Salon. The horse painting, which is displayed in a gigantic canvas, shows well-groomed horses paraded on pastureland. The scene is said to be an exact replica of the Paris horse market during that time.
9. Horse Frightened by Lightning
- Artist: Eugène Delacroix
- Date of painting: 1829
- Where you can see it: The Museum of Fine Arts Budapest
For many centuries, Eugène Delacroix remained to be one of the most sought-after historical painters. The style of painting used by this artist emphasized color and motion as opposed to clarity of outline. It is this skill that allowed him to excel as a horse painter and artist.
If you’re keen, you’ll notice that this painting shares a bit of similarity with the Whistlejacket painting we reviewed earlier. This is the fact that it draws one’s attention to the horse as there aren’t any other subjects to distract from that.
According to art history, showcasing this animal in paintings is symbolic. It’s often used to represent nobility, power, the intensity of emotions and so much more.
10. Horse Frightened by a Lion
- Artist: George Stubbs
- Date of painting: 1770
- Where you can see it: The Tate Gallery, London, England
This is another art piece that’s regarded as one of the most famous horse paintings ever created. Not surprisingly, it’s created by the prominent artist, George Stubbs.
As we saw from his first painting (The Whistlejacket), this artist had exceptional mastery of anatomy and passion for the animal. And these skills are seen in this painting as well.
Horse Frightened by a Lion is just one of many creations that this artist painted for his theme, “horse and the lion.”
Furthermore, it’s considered to be the first half of the 1773 painting titled, Horse Devoured by a Lion. The latter portrays a point where the lion has already defeated the horse, with its teeth sunk into the horse’s flanks.
There are a couple of other notable works by this artist. These include Horse in the Shade of a Wood, Mares and Foals in a Landscape and the Hambletonian, Rubbing Down.
11. A Start at the Newmarket
- Artist: Sir Alfred Munnings
- Date of painting: 1937
- Where you can see it: Private collection
This artist was known for his outspoken detest of modernist paintings. But more than that, he was an exceptionally skilled horse painting artist.
Munnings was raised in a mill located in Suffolk, England and it’s here that the artist spent most of his childhood learning to sketch horses and rural sceneries. His creation of A Start at the Newmarket went on to be ranked among the most famous horse paintings worldwide.
This artist was particularly intrigued by the atmosphere at the start of a horse racing event. With this painting, he tried to capture the anxious feelings of the jockeys and pent-up energy of the horses. As such, the painting is an accurate depiction of the “calm before the storm.”
12. Lady Godiva
- Artist: John Collier
- Date of painting: 1897
- Where you can see it: Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, England
Lady Godiva is the kind of painting that grabs your attention the minute you lay your eyes on it.
It was created by artist John Collier, who was one of the most prominent English painters of the 19th and 20th centuries.
In particular, this artist created many pieces that portrayed different historical events that happened in England. This painting is a good case in point as it shows Collier’s personal interpretation of the famous folk tale of Lady Godiva.
Lady Godiva was married to the 13th century Earl of Mercia. Legend has it that the lady rode a horse naked through the streets. This was her way of protesting against a tax policy that her husband had imposed on people.
The painting is a very figurative portrayal of that event. It contains the picture of a renowned theater actress of that period called Mab Paul. She is seen riding a white stallion, which is donned in a royal robe.
13. Two Riders on the Beach
- Artist: Max Liebermann
- Date of painting: 1901
- Where you can see it: Private collection
A lesser known painting is this one that was done by artist Max Liebermann. Liebermann was born to two wealthy Jewish parents in Berlin, Germany. And although he pursued law initially, he later decided to study drawing and painting.
His portraits gained the artist a lot of fame throughout Berlin. So much so that over 200 of his art pieces were commissioned. One of his most notable masterpieces was Two Riders on the Beach.
The artist created this particular piece during his stay in Scheveningen on the North Sea. It shows two jockeys leisurely riding their horses at a beach. It also shows the North Sea in its full splendor.
Liebermann used a pattern of painting that’s very similar to that of other renowned painters like Edouard Monet and Edgar Degas. The painting is so stunning that it’s ranked one of the best from the German Impressionist Movement. It’s also one of the famous horse paintings of all time.
Conclusion
Horses have had a major influence not only on our history but also development for many centuries. It’s alleged that the first people to domesticate horses lived somewhere in Eastern Europe and they began this practice as far back as 3,000 years ago.
Throughout history, many artists have been fascinated by the versatility and beauty of horses. To illustrate these traits, these artists have attempted to paint these animals in different scenes. There are lots of horse paintings that are beautiful works of equestrian art, and many are great gifts for passionate horse lovers.
Some of the most famous horse paintings are Whistlejacket, Napoleon Crossing the Alps, La Femme au Cheval, Lady Godiva just to mention a few.
