The Illustrated Horse

This book offers an excellent and engaging history of the horse, accentuated by a wonderful collection of equine art. The text is divided into eight sections: The Origins of the Horse, The Horse in the Ancient World, The Warhorse, The Working Horse, The Riding Horse, Haute Ecole & Showmanship, The Hunter and Sports Horse, and The Racehorse. The only major topic that seems to have been skipped over is the horse in the American west (though a couple western paintings are included). The information provided is concisely written, but comprehensive and accurate. The artwork is very well chosen. All pieces are beautifully printed in full-color, and encompass a wide variety of media and styles, including realism, impressionism, romanticism, pointillism, cubism, pen and ink, watercolor, engraving, fresco, sculpture, bas relief, mosaic, woodblock prints, pottery, tapestry, and manuscript illuminations. Specific artists represented include George Stubbs, Sir Alfred Munnings, Sir Edwin Landseer, John Wootton, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Pablo Picasso, Rembrandt Van Rijn, Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet, and Elizabeth Butler, among others. This book would make a very nice coffee-table item for its great artwork, or an educational tool for those interested in a nice overview of the horse in history.