Britse militair 1875 - 1925

Richard Simkin rendered this British military man mounted on a horse in a painting. The figure commands attention through the plume crowning his helmet and the elaborate decorations adorning both man and beast. The horse, a universal symbol of power and virility, carries on its flank a heraldic emblem, perhaps a regimental crest. This symbol echoes those found on ancient standards carried into battle, and recalls the Roman equestrian statues that glorified emperors. Consider the enduring image of the horse and rider across cultures – from the mounted warriors of the Eurasian Steppe to Renaissance portraits of triumphant leaders. The display of military might carries a psychological weight, an assertion of dominance designed to inspire awe and, perhaps, fear. Yet, this imagery evolves. It resurfaces, transformed, in modern contexts – consider, for instance, the powerful symbolism of the automobile, a mechanized horse, in the 20th century. The need to project power persists, finding new forms, new steeds.