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Original fileFighting Horses
Vechtende paarden Equile, in quo omnis generis generosissi morum equorum ex varijs orbis partibus insignis delectus (serietitel op object), BI-1893-3601-4
after Hendrick Goltzius
About This Work
The scene depicts a dense cluster of muscular horses rearing and grappling with their teeth in a state of raw animal fury. The engraving highlights anatomical precision and dynamic movement, contrasting the violence of the foreground with a calm, hilly horizon where other horses roam. This plate belongs to a series intended to catalog the noble breeds of horses from various parts of the world.
As part of the 'Equile' series, this work reflects the Renaissance transition from medieval bestiaries to early modern natural philosophy and systematic zoological study. The focus on 'furor' (fury) also connects to Neoplatonic concepts regarding the animal soul and the irrational passions that exist within the natural order.
Inscriptions(Latin)
Johan. Stradan Inuen. Sic simul accensi per inhospita tesqua furore Siluestres luctantur equi sic hispida setis Terga capillosis attollunt, mutua duris Calcibus, et saeuo lacerant dum viscera morsu