| The History of the horse in art is one that | | | | now be found in the British Museum. |
| spans thousands of years, and goes back to | | | | |
| before the horse was first domesticated. The | | | | Form of bas-reliefs carvings in the palaces |
| discoveries of rock paintings at Lascaux and | | | | from Niveveh date back approximately to 645 |
| Avignon in France have provided us with an | | | | BC and give a vivid portrayal of the times. |
| insight , not only in to the very early | | | | They include carvings of an exotic lion hunt |
| artists, but also of the physical appearance | | | | with the king in his chariot. Standing |
| of the primitive horse. That these paintings | | | | alongside are the beautifully and evocatively |
| have survived at all is unbelievable, but | | | | displayed horses, tense with the excitement |
| when you consider their date of approximately | | | | of the chase. They even showing the |
| 20,000 BC, and compare this to the condition | | | | harnessing and tack that were being used on |
| they are in, is it quite astonishing. | | | | the horses. The horses appear muscular and in |
| | | | good condition , obviously well looked after, |
| Significance of Cave Paintings. Both the | | | | but are depicted with a typical, straight |
| Sites at Lascaux and Avignon are buried in | | | | legged movement it is many years before |
| deep underground caves, and perhaps this has | | | | horses were shown with a natural movement in |
| largely contributed to their preservation. It | | | | their gait. |
| is interesting to consider why these | | | | |
| paintings were done in such inaccessible | | | | The relief's at Nimrud, which date to |
| places and whether they were depictions of | | | | approximately 865-860 BC, are equally as |
| what early man considered to be spiritual or | | | | vivid as those at Nineveh. They show mounted |
| god-like animals. Alternatively , they could | | | | archers riding mounted bareback on powerful |
| simply have been portrayals in admiration of | | | | looking stallions, while aiming their bows. |
| the fierce and wild spirit of the early | | | | Again, the relief's show the elaborate |
| horses. One vivid drawing is the picture of a | | | | bridles that were in use and a type of |
| horse at Niaux, in the mid-Pyrenees. | | | | decorative neck hanging with tassels. |
| Carefully drawn with the heavy black outline, | | | | |
| it bears a striking resemblance to | | | | Horse Sculptures, perhaps some of the most |
| Przewalski's horse. Others, at the site at | | | | early amazing sculptures are the four |
| Vallon-Point-d'Arc, are depicted with flowing | | | | figurines of the early gilded copper horses |
| lines and bold colour and are so detailed | | | | which reside in the Basilica San Marco, |
| that it is possible to pick out spotted | | | | Venic. These horses date back to the third of |
| markings similar to the Appaloosa. | | | | forth century BC and stand larger than life |
| | | | size. They are believed to have been produced |
| Carvings of Nineveh and Nimrud. Pictures of | | | | by the Greek sculptor Lysippus and are |
| the horse through the centuries provide us | | | | wonderfully proud and mascular. They are |
| with a tremendous information, ranging from | | | | fairly atomically correct, very life like. |
| the horse in society, to how the horse | | | | |
| developed. Another great source of pictures | | | | Horses have been depicted in the history af |
| comes from the Assyrian people of the Middle | | | | art for their strength and beauty. This such |
| East, and the best of these are in the | | | | depiction has been the subject of many an |
| Assyrian Ashurbanipal Hunting Relief Large. | | | | artist, that has continued to this day. And, |
| This relief was found in the Ashurbanipal | | | | being a very popular subject, can only enrich |
| Palace, Nineveh. It is from 645 B.C. and can | | | | art as a tribute to the horse. |