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View at the museum ↗Polish Horseman
Stefano della Bellac. 1651
- Attribution
- Stefano della Bella Italian, 1610-1664
- Medium
- Etching in black on ivory laid paper
- Physical dimensions
- Sheet: 19 × 19 cm (7 1/2 × 7 1/2 in.)
- Credit line
- Purchased with funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. George B. Young and Prints and Drawings Purchase Account
Museum metadata is available under CC0. Image availability and rights are separate; consult the source record.
Source rights statement: Public domain
View the museum record ↗From the museum
The Polish winged hussars were the most feared cavalry unit in mid-17th-century Europe. They charged directly at the opposing army in tight formation at full speed, splintering the enemy’s ranks. Constructed out of brightly colored ostrich, goose, or swan feathers and affixed via a wooden arch to the horseman’s back, the wings also created tremendous noise. The clatter and hiss of a legion of these riders thundering down frightened horse and foot soldier alike, and enemies of Poland sometimes surrendered on sight.
Description: Art Institute of Chicago · CC BY 4.0