Horse 1624 - 1663

Francesco Allegrini made this drawing of a horse with pen and brown ink in seventeenth-century Italy. Drawings such as this one were often made in preparation for larger paintings or prints. The image is full of vitality, capturing the animal’s strength through the tension in its rearing pose. During this period, the Catholic Church was an important patron of the arts. The nobility also had a strong influence on artistic production. Horses were a common motif in art, often used to symbolize power, status, and military strength. Allegrini's masterful rendering captures the animal’s raw energy and muscular build, making it a potent symbol. Understanding the social and institutional context of this drawing, and others like it, means diving into account books and letters, and studying the history of the art market. It's through this research that we come to understand the full story of the artwork.