Mail Coach 1818

This is Horace Vernet’s print of a Mail Coach. The horse, noble and harnessed, stands as the dominant symbol in this work. The horse evokes power, speed, and the taming of nature. This is the same horse we find pulling the chariots of antiquity; the horse of Roman emperors, signaling triumph and control. Consider how the Renaissance masters, such as Leonardo, portrayed horses, capturing their muscular dynamism and associating them with human ambition and the desire for control over the natural world. Fast forward to the Romantics; they painted untamed horses to reflect nature's sublime power. This is a clear departure from Vernet. Observe the posture of these animals, their calm acceptance of their duty. There is an echo of man's dominion, a psychological reassurance that order can be imposed on the world, even as the world rapidly changes. The print taps into a deep-seated desire for stability. The symbol of the horse, reshaped by time and culture, reappears here.