Horses have been a part of human lives for centuries. On the battlefield, race track, or during mundane activities such as transportation, these animals were irreplaceable.

Artists throughout the centuries paid their gratitude and respect to horses in their paintings and sculptures. In any gallery or a museum, we'll find pieces depicting these noble animals in wars, royal estates, or wild nature settings.

When did the man start creating this type of art, and what are the most famous art pieces with horses?

History of horses in art

The first-ever art piece featuring a horse is in France's Lascaux caves, and these are 16 or 17 thousand-year-old paintings.

In ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, horses were an important part of daily life. People studied their anatomy, cared for, and cherished the animals.

After the dark ages, Renaissance has brought an overall revival of art and exploration to Europe. Famous artists like Raphael, Titian, and Leonardo da Vinci portrayed horses in their works.

During the Tudor rule in the 15-16th century, England equine sports became very popular, and impressionists like Edgar Degas painted many racing scenes and horses in their careers.

Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, 175 AD

It would be wrong to start the list with anything but the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius’ bronze equestrian statue. It's a perfect example of high craftsmanship in a time when most such statues had weird proportions and looked nothing like their real-life models.

Erected in 175 AD, the Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius is the ideal example for equestrian statues to this day.

The Lascaux cave paintings

The first horse paintings to ever be discovered and fascinate scientists and art connoisseurs are found on France's Lascaux caves walls.

It's estimated that they are 16-17 thousand years old. The paintings depicted horses and deer that peacefully coexisted. That type of deer was larger than its modern cousins and is now extinct.

Edgar Degas, At the Races, 1869

The Degas painting "At the Races" incorporates many different painting styles into one portrait of everyday life: the landscape is notable though not overwhelming.

The painting is a part of a series depicting a weekend at the races, showcases tradition, family life, and delivers insight into the lives of the races' patrons.

And even though back in the 19th-century horse race betting had to be done in person, today, people can simply place a winning bet on the Kentucky Derby if they visit TwinSpires.com/kentuckyderby/odds.

The Uffington White Horse

The Uffington White Horse is an enormous artwork and the oldest of the English hill figures. It's a 3 thousand-year-old pictogram the size of a football field.

The prehistoric times' artwork was made using a unique technique cutting into the surface of a hill and filling the trenches with white chalk, creating a massive depiction of a horse.

It is challenging to see the artwork from anywhere else but the sky.

George Stubbs, Whistlejacket 1762

"Whistlejacket" is an oil-on-canvas painting by the British artist George Stubbs and is one of the best-known horse paintings.

According to Georgestubbs.org, the painting is breathtaking in its scale.

The horse is life-size in a painting that is 115 inches by 97 inches and can be seen from as far away as ten galleries in the National Gallery where it hangs.

What makes this piece of art renowned is the lack of background. The artist spent several months in a country house in Yorkshire, creating many paintings before he finished this one.

Theodore Gericault, An Officer of the Imperial Horse Guards Charging, 1812

The French romanticism painting portrays a mounted Napoleonic cavalry officer ready to attack, and the horse seems to be rearing away from an unseen attacker.

Géricault's first exhibited work is an example of his attempt to condense both movement and structure in its art. The painting is part of the Louvre collection.

Eugene Delacroix, Horse Frightened by Lightning, 1829

Eugene Delacroix was one of the leading artists of French romanticism, known for his use of expressive brushstrokes and his study of the optical effects of color.

Even though he painted many pieces with horses, "Horse Frightened by Lightning" is the most famous. In the painting, we see a fine thoroughbred at the moment when it reacts to a bolt of lightning. The expression of the emotion and the situation is striking and unforgettable.

The piece is now displayed in the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, Hungary.