Horses in All Their Splendor – The Painter Johann Georg de Hamilton

The majestic horses in the paintings of Johann Georg de Hamilton are a Baroque marvel. With graceful movements, robust hindquarters, and High School postures, they embody the strength and elegance of the breeds of that time. The depiction of intricately adorned and braided manes, muscular bodies, and expressive features gives these 18th-century portraits a unique, timeless allure.

The carefully crafted saddle blankets and lavish embellishments do in addition emphasize the royal status of the animals and complete the aesthetic panorama, immersing the viewer in the fascinating world of aristocratic equestrian art.

Most often, the horses are portrayed in High School jumps, showcasing not only their skill but also that of their owners.

The painter, Johann Georg de (or ‘von’) Hamilton, was one of three sons of the artist James Hamilton. Originally from Scotland, James Hamilton settled in Brussels with his family by 1688, establishing himself as a still-life painter. Like his two brothers – Philipp Ferdinand (circa 1664-1750), who became the court painter to the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph I, and Karl Wilhelm de Hamilton, known as ‘Thistle-Hamilton’ (circa 1668-1754) – Johann Georg spent his career as a court painter in Central Europe.

He moved to Vienna in 1689 and returned in 1718 after working in Germany for Prince Adam Franz Karl of Schwarzenburg. Besides commissions for the Princes of Liechtenstein and depictions of horses from the Eisgrub stud (now Lednice), Johann Georg was appointed Court Painter to Joseph I’s successor, Charles VI, at that time.

In this role, he earned the nickname ‘the Viennese Wootton’ because he primarily painted horses and hunting scenes. He devoted special attention to the Emperor’s horses, for which Charles VI commissioned the construction of the Winter Riding School in 1729 – before that, the stallions were trained in a wooden arena on Josefplatz.

Several other stallions depicted by Hamilton were likely bred at the famous Eisgrub stud of the Princes of Liechtenstein (now Lednice, Bohemia). At certain times, these stables, founded by Prince Karl Eusebius (1611-1684) and later enlarged, housed up to 120 stallions of various breeds, admired across Europe for their gait, shiny manes and tails, and their handsome ”eagle’s beak’ noses (an inheritance of the Neapolitan breed).

The paintings’ focus on round shapes and striking colors is noteworthy. There is a conspicuous presence of piebald and cream coat colors.

The richly embroidered saddle blankets, crupper covers, and headgear seen in many of the paintings are typical of those used on ceremonial occasions, reflecting the high status of the horse in the world of aristocracy at that time. For instance, in the royal stables of the Saxon princes, each horse was accompanied by a painting, and one of Hamilton’s brothers died at Schloss Hubertusburg in Saxony.

The ‘Eagle’s beak nose’ of the Neapolitan horse is explained by the fact that these horses were considered among the best in Europe at that time, alongside the Spanish. (Although Hamilton is often associated with the Lipizzaners, he never painted them. Their breed was only created in 1786.)

One particular horse seems to have captivated the painter: a cream stallion, portrayed in three versions. The unusual color, resulting from a dilution gene, was exceptionally rare at that time.