Portrait Of A Bay Horse With A Docked Tail In A Landscape 18th-century Dutch School

Portrait of a Bay Horse with Docked Tail in a Landscape

Dutch School, 18th Century

Oil on oak panel.
Panel dimensions: 28 × 23 cm.
Framed dimensions: 38 × 33 cm.

This small painting depicts a bay horse shown in profile before a rural landscape with a village and church steeple on the horizon. The animal’s composed stance and distinctive docked tail, in keeping with a practice then common among working and transport horses, provide an interesting historical detail.

The quality of the painting is particularly evident in the treatment of the landscape. The sky is built up through a succession of complex and ever-changing clouds that expand the sense of space and lend depth to the scene. The foliage of the tree is enlivened by subtle luminous highlights outlining many of the leaves and making their contours stand out against the sky.

The oak panel support, the character of the landscape, and the overall composition suggest a Dutch production of the 18th century.

Good overall condition. Presented in a giltwood XIX century frame