Horse Polo Art Gallery

The Katerina Morgan Horse Polo Art Gallery is a unique art space dedicated to equestrian art, celebrating the enduring relationship between humans and horses. The gallery features a wide range of artworks, from ancient cave paintings to contemporary pieces, showcasing the significant role of the horse in both European and Oriental cultures.

Ancient cave paintings, considered one of the oldest human artistic creations, often depict horses, which make up approximately a fifth of all illustrations. These ancient artworks, created using natural pigments like red ochre, yellow ochre, black, and white, served symbolic and religious functions, preserving important events and representing wealth, power, strength, and independence.

The gallery also presents works by two outstanding contemporary painters, Cara Van Leuven and Jane Johansson, who were influenced by ancient art. Cara's work features exceptionally long-legged horses, symbolizing fragility and inspired by her personal journey with horses. Jane Johansson's paintings capture the spirit and soul of horses, inspired by her adventures in the saddle and her emotional connection to these animals.

In addition to contemporary artists, the gallery features renowned equine artists such as F. B. Voss, whose paintings of J. Watson Webb's polo-playing mares, Naughty Girl, Fairy Girl, and Chemawa, are of great significance to the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame. These mares, played by Webb in International matches, were lauded as superstars in the 1920s.

The gallery's offerings extend to historical pieces, including Richard Stone Reeves' portrait of four ponies owned by Walter B. Devereux and Edward Troye's racehorse portraits, which were masterful during the nineteenth century in America.