Horses in Stables: Spring, 17th century; Japanese, Edo period; one of a pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, gold, and silver on paper; overall: 59 1/4 x 138 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. Arthur B. Baer 4:1970.1
To celebrate the Year of the Horse for the Lunar New Year, we’ve rounded up horse-themed works from across the Museum’s expansive collection. Horses have held a powerful place in art for centuries, representing strength, beauty, and movement. In many cultures, they are associated with power and survival. In Asian art, sculpted horses have represented not just transportation but cosmic energy and the strength of the empire. Horses persist in art by mirroring humanity—strong yet beautiful, controlled yet capable of running free.
Horse, 8th century; Chinese, Tang dynasty; unglazed earthenware and horsehair; 29 x 27 3/4 x 11 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase and funds given by Phyllis Z. and Kenneth R. Langsdorf, the William K. Bixby Trust for Asian Art, Eleanor J. Moore, and Samuel C. Davis Jr. 1:2004
Horse
This ceramic sculpture of a horse from the Tang dynasty is of a type that was included in graves to indicate the importance of the deceased. Horses, according to Tang protocol, symbolized rank and privilege. The power of the animal is apparent in this work, with the horse’s pinned-back ears and bared teeth.
Horses in Stables: Spring, 17th century; Japanese, Edo period; one of a pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, gold, and silver on paper; overall: 59 1/4 x 138 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. Arthur B. Baer 4:1970.1
Horses in Stables: Autumn, 17th century; Japanese, Edo period; one of a pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, gold, and silver on paper; overall: 59 1/4 x 138 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. Arthur B. Baer 4:1970.2
Horses in Stables: Spring and Autumn
A pair of six-panel folding screens by an unidentified artist of the Kano school depicts an important subject in Japanese painting. Screen painters in the Muromachi (1392–1573) period popularized the subject of horses in stables. Continuing in the Momoyama (1573–1615) and early Edo (1615–1868) periods, the paintings reflected the enthusiasm of the warrior class and concern for horses during a period with many civil wars.
Edward Middleton Manigault, Canadian (active United States), 1887–1922; Landscape with a Horse, 1912; oil on canvas; 27 x 33 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of John and Susan Horseman, in honor of Melissa Wolfe, Curator of American Art 105:2019
Landscape with a Horse
Edward Middleton Manigault’s works are remarkable for their decorative sense and imaginative, otherworldly spirit, as seen here. The golden, glowing sky sets the tone for this visionary scene. A horse, castle, and foliage emerge from the darkened, jewel-toned landscape, whose trees cast anxious silhouettes. This work is currently on view in May Department Stores Company Gallery 334.
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, German (active Switzerland), 1880–1938; Circus Rider (recto), 1914; oil on canvas; 79 x 59 7/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 904:1983
Circus Rider
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was attracted to the bohemian atmosphere found at the circus. In this flattened and compacted composition, he evoked the thrilling energy and vitality of the circus arena. This work is currently on view in Gallery 235.
Thomas Gainsborough, English, 1727–1788; View in Suffolk, c.1755; oil on canvas; 37 3/4 x 49 3/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Cora Liggett Fowler, The John Fowler Memorial Collection 168:1928
View in Suffolk
A sun-drenched riverbank, an amorous couple, and a leisurely rider offer a variety of details that create an idyllic setting. This scene from the English countryside reveals Thomas Gainsborough’s ability to record subtleties of his surroundings, reflecting the 18th-century interest in the natural world. This work is currently on view in Gallery 202.
Edgar Degas, French, 1834–1917; Galloping Horse, c.1889–90; bronze; 12 1/4 x 18 1/4 x 8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 187:1946
Galloping Horse
Edgar Degas produced about 15 sculptures of horses, in which he aimed to capture the complexity of horses in motion. A regular visitor to the racetrack, he focused on elegant thoroughbreds rather than workhorses. This sculpture shows a running horse with its head intently forward, tail raised, and front legs elevated. This work is currently on view in Wells Fargo Advisers Gallery 218.
Frederic Remington, American, 1861–1909; cast by Roman Bronze Works, New York, New York, active 1897–1980s; The Bronco Buster, 1895, cast 1907; bronze; 23 x 21 1/2 x 13 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of J. Lionberger Davis 201:1955
The Bronco Buster
Frederic Remington’s art preserves romanticized notions of an old West filled with adventurous cowboys that appealed to the artist’s audience. This sculpture depicts a cowboy breaking in a rearing horse. Though dramatic, the composition captures in bronze a moment of graceful suspension. This work is currently on view in Gallery 336.