Sports & Leisure · 19th century
€ 890
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Good condition. Light, even age-related toning and scattered foxing consistent with age. Colours remain warm and well preserved. No folds or hard creases observed. Minor edge wear only.
Antique Andalusian Horse Portrait 1898, Spanish Classical Equestrian Lithograph
This original antique colour lithograph from 1898 depicts No. 28. Le Cheval Andalous, the Andalusian horse, one of Europe’s most celebrated and historically influential riding breeds. Revered since the Renaissance for its noble presence, collected movement, and intelligence, the Andalusian played a central role in classical horsemanship, court riding schools, and aristocratic equestrian culture. The horse is shown in a refined side-on portrait within an architectural interior inspired by Iberian and Moorish design, reinforcing its association with Spanish courtly tradition.
Note: The work is offered unframed, enabling custom framing to personal or interior preferences.
This sheet forms part of the distinguished Belgian equestrian series L’Espèce Chevaline à Travers le Monde. The series was issued as a deluxe loose-leaf publication rather than a bound book and consisted of 40 colour plates in total. Only 150 complete sets were produced, intended for breeders, collectors, and official equestrian institutions, making individual plates scarce and increasingly sought after.
The lithograph was executed after a painting by Otto Eerelman, one of the leading European horse painters of the late nineteenth century. Eerelman was admired for his anatomical precision and dignified, unsentimental portrayal of horses, focusing on ideal conformation and breed character rather than narrative scenes. His work represents an important visual record of Europe’s principal horse breeds at the height of classical breeding culture.
On the reverse of the sheet is an original printed note reading: Espèce Chevaline. Ouvrage contenant 40 planches en couleurs. Édition de la Librairie Néerlandaise à Anvers. This verso inscription provides contemporary confirmation of the series title, the complete set of plates, and the Antwerp publisher.
Issued as a finished loose sheet and intended for framing from the outset, this lithograph appeals equally to collectors of equestrian and sporting art and to interior designers seeking refined, timeless horse imagery. The architectural setting, warm palette, and elegant stance give the work a formal, classical presence well suited to libraries, studies, country houses, or sophisticated modern interiors.
This is an original nineteenth-century lithograph, not a reproduction or later print.
Condition report:
Good condition. Light, even age-related toning and scattered foxing consistent with age. Colours remain warm and well preserved. No folds or hard creases observed. Minor edge wear only.
Framing suggestions:
Ideal for a dark walnut or ebonized wood frame with a generous off-white or soft ivory mat. A wide mat enhances the architectural depth and gives the work a calm, museum-quality presence.
Technique:
Colour lithograph
Maker:
After Otto Eerelman, Netherlands / Belgium, circa 1898
