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How NOT to Read Equestrian Statues
This is one myth of reading art you can dismiss
On several occasions, I have come across the seductively simple rule-of-thumb for determining the symbolic meaning of equestrian monuments.
It goes like this:
If the horse represented has two legs in the air, then the rider of the horse made his final stand in battle; if the animal has one leg in the air, then the rider suffered and died from inflicted wounds later; and if the horse has all four feet on the ground, the rider survived the battle unscathed.
The rule appears to have come to prominence in America with particular relation to the Battle at Gettysburg of 1863, since amongst the monuments that later populated the location are eight equestrian statues of major generals associated with the Civil War skirmish.
The handy formula has undoubtedly helped many visitors to Pennsylvania find their bearings amid the outdoor museum. Almost all the Gettysburg equestrian statues follow the code, even if there is one exception: that of the statue of James Longstreet, whose horse has one leg raised even though Longstreet failed to die from his battle wounds.
However, just a quick glance at other horse statues around the world proves that as a general principle, this rubric is…
