Year of the Horse — 9 Artists, 9 Visions

Across cultures and time, the horse appears as structure, symbol, spirit, and body. From Leonardo da Vinci’s studies through Kano Motonobu, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Pablo Picasso, and Franz Marc, to contemporary works by Laurentius Sauer, Lou Benesch, Jan Możdżyński, and Javiera Gart, the figure continues to appear in different contexts and mediums.

This selection is tracing more than five centuries of interpretations.

Leonardo da Vinci — Studies of a Horse

Pen and ink on paper, c. 1482–1499

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Kano Motonobu — Ema (Kamo Shrine, Tatsuno, Hyogo, Japan)

Ink and color on wooden panel, 16th century

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Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec — Équestrienne (At the Cirque Fernando)

Oil on canvas, 1887–88

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Pablo Picasso — Boy Leading a Horse

Oil on canvas, 1905–06

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Franz Marc — Blue Horses (The Large Blue Horses)

Oil on canvas, 1911

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Laurentius Sauer — DIAMONDS

Oil spray on mixed canvas, 2021

Image courtesy and credit © Laurentius Sauer

Lou Benesch — The Road

Watercolor and ink on paper, 2021

Image courtesy and credit © Lou Benesch

Jan Możdżyński — High Noon

Oil on canvas, 2024

Photo: @meta_strong_fiction

Javiera Gart — Stairs to the Moon

Acrylic on canvas, 2025

Image courtesy © Javiera Gart