This early 19th-century oil painting shows a very unusual yet hilarious depiction of a horse in military attire, whose reins are being led by a dog!
The horse’s bridle, decorated with cowrie shells, the red shabraque decorated with a silver and gold royal monogram, and the leopard skin saddle make it very likely that this charger belonged to a light cavalry officer from the regiment of the 10th Hussars.
Though I was not able to identify these specific animals, this portrait shows they were most likely highly respected members of their regiment. The officer who rode this charger wanted to immortalize and treasure his beloved horse and dog.
It was quite common to commission a portrait of an animal that was a part of battle, and there. There are a number of horses and dogs that were buried with full military honours. Famous examples are Copenhagen, the Duke of Wellington’s horse in the battle of Waterloo, and Crimean Bob, whose gravestone can be found in the Museum of the Kings Royal Hussars at Winchester.
Dogs could also become famed and prized members of a regiment. The depiction of this dog is reminiscent of the Hussar terrier named Boxer, found on route to Crimea by the 11th Hussars in 1854. He became a much-loved member of the regiment and even wore his own shabraque displaying his own Crimea medals.
The painting is unsigned, but its naive painting style can be found in other paintings of this genre. A similar painting can be found in the collection of the Museum of the Kings Royal Hussars at Winchester.
General information
Dimensions: 55 x 42 cm (frame size), 48 x 35 cm (canvas size).
Age: Early 19th Century, circa 1810s.
Material: Oil paint on canvas, fitted in a wooden frame.
Condition: In antique condition with signs of wear, consistent with its age. There have been spots of paint loss that have been retouched and the canvas had been re-stretched. The frame has some paint chips missing: this could easily be restored, but for now I have left it as is because it, in my opinion, adds to the overall charm of this artwork.
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