‘All the Pretty Horses’: Sports and Leisure in Polish Equine Painting – The Artistic and Literary Legacy of Wojciech Kossak (Artworks, Memoirs, Letters)

Abstract

The human–horse relationship dates back centuries. In contemporary times, many people still value horses as their companions. These animals have had a very positive (even romantic) image in the eyes of many Poles because of historical reasons – by means of great victories, the role of husaria (cavalry), and Polish gentry fascinated with horses, which is present in a great number of works of literature. Over the centuries, horses constituted a source of inspiration for numerous artists and appeared in their works of art. Polish historical painting depicted numerous sporting activities, also the ones practised with the use of horses, such as huntings or races. This also concerns sports and leisure art of the turn of the twentieth century, especially the artistic oeuvre of Wojciech Kossak (1856–1942), an ardent lover of horses. Wider consideration of artistic representations of leisure can enhance sport studies as a field, offering fresh insight into how particular sports developed. The research has largely been based on historical sources.