Stallion of the Renaissance

by Star Liana York

Size: 28 x 28 x 12.5"
Medium: Bronze
Edition Size: 35

An enduring appeal of horse imagery is that it can embody both powerful male and female symbolism. Horses depicted on the caves of Paleolithic man suggest fertility, whereas the horse in Renaissance art, once equines were developed into tools for battle, became strongly male.
Once I began to consciously consider the horse as I have rendered it in my own work, I realized that I have mostly focused on the female side (unsurprising since I'm interested in equine breeding). So I decided to go back to a master few humans have surpassed in brilliance and study what he had to say on the subject.
Leonardo Da Vinci admired the horse's ability to truly become an extension of man. He has drawn many comparisons of human and equine facial expressions that reflect this. His equine sketches are an amazing blend of the male/female power: rounded voluptuous shapes infused with bulging muscles and fierce expression. His horses training for war have the passion and intensity of any human warrior he portrayed.
Da Vinci recognized the value of such a creature to the man of his culture - power driven, war oriented. And the horse appealed to the further enlargement of oneself with their regal, noble demeanor and presence.