Le Superbe Cheval de Spanie

This striking print shows a Spanish horse being led by the halter in front of Welbeck Abbey where the Duke built his famous riding house. The print is from the 1737 English edition of Cavendish’s exposition on the theory and practice of equestrian dressage. It was based on La Methode Et Invention Nouvelle De Dresser Les Chevaux, first published in 1657 in Antwerp. William Cavendish, The Duke of Newcastle, lost his fortune and title after the Battle of Marston Moor and went into exile on the continent. Whilst in Paris, he purchased eight Barbary horses, set up a manege and developed his own training methods.

Mounted size: 73 x 61cm.