My Sorrel

The depiction of horses in 19th-century art was a matter for serious consideration: they were included in battle scenes, and in most scenes of everyday life. This was certainly due to the special importance of the horse in the life of a farmer, and the role of horses in celebrations or military expeditions. In the life of the nobility, horses expressed the owner’s wealth and status, and were his loyal friends. On the battlefield, and even on a hunting trip, a horse and its rider became one, for their lives depended on mutual understanding and trust. For this reason, the stable was one of the most important buildings on a country estate, while thoroughbred riding horses were an object of pride and meticulous care. Work or draught horses were also valued, as the prosperity of a farm also depended on them. This established a special emotional connection between humans and horses that is reflected in art, too. Separate equestrian studies, portraits of horses, emerged in the second half of the 19th century. Edward Mateusz Römer (1848–1900) and his brother Alfred made quite a few pictures of their beloved horses. Edward Mateusz painted his saddled horse on the dowry estate of his wife in Lunna (now Belarus) some time after 1880. This small painting conveys with sensitivity not only the appearance of the sturdy, well-groomed horse, but also the animal’s peaceful and dependable nature. Text author Rūta Janonienė.