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Ferdinand Siegmund Lachenwitz
Wild horses surprised by a snake

1849

$2,456.94
£1,800
€2,117.63
CA$3,421.16
A$3,676.40
CHF 1,972.60
MX$43,305.72
NOK 24,803.27
SEK 22,657.62
DKK 15,826.36

About the Item

Ferdinand Sigmund Lachenwitz was a German painter active in the mid-nineteenth century, working within the traditions of Romanticism and academic realism. Born in 1820, he was trained according to the rigorous standards of the German academies, where close observation, sound draftsmanship, and anatomical accuracy were central to artistic practice. Lachenwitz is best known as an animal painter, particularly for his depictions of horses. His work reflects the period’s fascination with animal life as both a subject of study and a poetic expression of nature. Rather than dramatic or heroic scenes, he favored quiet moments of movement and interaction, presenting animals as natural, living presences within carefully observed landscapes. His paintings were typically modest in scale and finely finished, suggesting they were intended for private collectors rather than public exhibition. Landscapes play an important role in his compositions, providing atmosphere and balance through wooded settings, rocky ground, and softly receding distance. His use of light is restrained and natural, reinforcing a sense of calm and harmony. Lachenwitz died in 1868 at the age of forty-eight. Though not widely known today, his work remains appreciated for its technical skill, sensitivity, and understated Romantic character, placing him firmly within the tradition of nineteenth-century German animal painting. The painting presents a moment of sudden disturbance within an otherwise tranquil woodland setting. Framed by dense foliage and rocky ground, a small group of horses is caught in the instant of alarm as they cross a shallow stream. A white horse dominates the foreground, rearing back as it encounters a snake coiled at the water’s edge. Its mane and tail flare with the abruptness of the movement, transforming what might have been a calm passage into a scene charged with tension. Behind it, a chestnut horse reacts sharply, while a darker foal or young horse hesitates mid-step, heightening the sense of disruption rippling through the group. Lachenwitz renders the animals with anatomical confidence, using their strained poses and alert expressions to convey fear and instinctive response. Muscles tighten, legs brace against the slick ground, and the horses’ attention converges on the unseen threat just ahead. The careful modeling of their bodies underscores the drama, grounding the moment in believable physical reaction rather than theatrical exaggeration. The surrounding landscape intensifies the scene rather than softening it. Dark foliage and rocks press in around the narrow stream, enclosing the horses and focusing attention on the confrontation. Cooler blue tones in the distance offer depth, but the foreground remains charged with immediacy. Light flashes across the white horse’s coat and the rippling water, emphasizing movement and heightening contrast between calm nature and sudden danger. Taken together, the painting reveals another side of Lachenwitz’s art: his ability to introduce drama and narrative tension without abandoning naturalism. The scene balances Romantic storytelling with close observation, transforming a fleeting encounter between animals and their environment into a moment of vivid, unsettling intensity. The size of the canvas is 20.5 x 30 cm it is signed and dated on the lower right: F. S, Lachenwitz 1849
  • Creator:
    Ferdinand Siegmund Lachenwitz (1820 - 1868, German)
  • Creation Year:
    1849
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 16.34 in (41.5 cm)Width: 21.66 in (55 cm)
  • Medium:
    Canvas,Oil
  • Movement Style:
    Romantic
  • Period:
    Mid-19th Century
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    GB
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 1021stDibs: LU2841217461632

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