The Horses of Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci seemed to have been a big fan of horses, and even his rough sketches possess an almost magical lifelike quality, both in their detail and in their perspective.
Although ultimately known for his portrait painting ability, it seems he was able to capture his subjects regardless of what type of animal they were.
I actually appreciate some of these informal sketches more than his popular pieces. They give us a glimpse into his character, simply because he enjoyed the challenge of drawing horses and found them subjects worthy of his doodles.
Image from Ourlives at Wind and Sea
The Way Leonardo Sees Horses
The Four Horses of Apollo
Horse Anatomy
Study for a Sculpture of a Horse
Rider on a Rearing Horse Trampling a Fallen Foe
Sketch of a Horse
Rider on a Rearing Horse
Rearing Horse
Study of Horses
Horse and Rider
The Fall of Phaeton
Now we know what the Mona Lisa was smiling at, there must have been a horse in front of her.
5 Responses to “The Horses of Leonardo da Vinci”
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A great selection of the masters equine works.
They are just stunning. A pure delight.
Like the Mona Lisa, I am smiling at this hand picked selection of noble steeds
A great big thank you Paige.
Leonardo is a wonderful artist and so talented in so many areas. Looks like he like heavy horses — powerful ones with a lot of muscle. Thanks for sharing these.
For Love of Horses: I have been researching prehistoric art and on line there are so many beautiful videos available that bring us to the prehistoric cave art in the Dordogne and around the world. Of course horses are an integral and graceful part of this art and these “primitive people” were sensitive and great artists. There is such love here.
I looked first at the Picasso horses as they so remind me of what I am perceiving in the caves and now I have come to Da Vinci. It seems we built on the past or recreate it, and I still marvel at that young “autistic” girl, Nadia, whose horses drawn at such a tender age are so reminiscent of what we are seeing. What impels such creativity and sensitivity of observation and love?
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Mona smiled because she has just given birth to her new born second child. Her portrait had a celebrating purpose. She has the smile of a happy mom. Just that.