Sunday, March 5, 2017

Vrancx' forlorn rider

Salve,
March is upon us - time flies. I had some hard disc problem, just had to buy a new SSD, the old new one is kaput, along with the entire content, including my digital sketches - c'est la vie...
So to start with this month, I want to share a detail from a painting by Sebastian Vrancx & Jan Breughel II showing a horseman being shot by a bandit or a marauding soldier.

This forlorn rider's horse, a powerful gray mount, is fully outfitted in accordance with the period tack - a long-shanked curb bit with a single set of reins, a breastplate and a crouper. The tack has additional adornments in a form of leather straps hanging from the crouper right behind the Baroque saddle. Note that the rider is mounted with long, with heavy metal stirrups.
There is a horseman's bag (German der Mantelsack) - a form of a saddle bag - strapped behind the cantle, better seen on the bay horse held by a bandit in the background. Horse is shod on all four hooves,

I hope to share more details of the Vrancx' paintings showing horses and riders, and wagons or carriages.
enjoy

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