Victory by the Winners
The Frisian horse breed has been threatened with extinction at various times. In 1913, only three stallions were left available to produce offspring. This image symbolizes the celebration of victory over the demise of the Frisian horse. All the horses in this image have been winners.
The title of this work is "Victory by the Winners." "Winners" refers not only to the horses, but certainly also to all the people who worked to preserve the breed. This could not have been achieved without the third category of winners: the people who bought and worked with the horses.
This image contains 0% Artificial Intelligence. Everything was created through photography, digital drawing, and painting. The image can be printed up to approximately 700 x 350 cm (275 x 137”) with sharpness and all details preserved.
The Symbolism
Several symbols are incorporated into the image. Some are quite obvious, others are more hidden, and a few can be challenging to discover.
The withering tree is located in a lower area and symbolizes that the Frisian horse breed has been threatened with extinction several times. The right side of the tree shows three branches with abundant leaves. These three branches emerge from the nearly dead tree and symbolize the revival of the breed and the three stallions from which the current Frisian horses are descended.
On the far right of the image there are three trees, in full leaf. The tree trunks symbolize that all Frisian horses today descend from three stallions and that these represent the beginning of the current rich pedigree. The leaves symbolize the tens of thousands of horses that have been produced since the revival.
The horses' swift gallop symbolizes the pace at which the breed has conquered the world. In just a few decades, the Frisian horse, once nearly extinct, can now be found in over 80 countries worldwide. The horses kick up a considerable dust, leaving clear tracks, and not just in the sand.
The border marker in the lower right corner of the image symbolizes the border between Friesland and the rest of the world. Symbolically, countless Frisian horses leave their homeland and are dispersed throughout the world. Below the Frisian coat of arms, some Frisian graffiti can be seen, meaning "Land of the Black Horse."
The pennant Willem carries refers to the orange ribbons adorning the winning stallions at the championship. The orange also symbolizes the royal status of the Frisian Horse Studbook. The lions on the blue section are the coat of arms of Friesland.
The rider's armor dates from the Renaissance period, which refers to the revival of the Frisian horse breed. Frisian horses are sometimes called "black gold," and the colours of the armor reflect this. The armor also symbolizes royal protection, and the orange sash represents the championship ribbons.
The dramatic cloudy sky symbolizes the turbulent history of the Friesian horse. On the left of the image, the clouds are dark, as in the breed's difficult times; on the right, the sun breaks through.
Combinations of three can be seen in various places. Here, three horses are seen with their left hind legs on the ground, while their other three legs are off the ground.
The frame and the marble ornaments refer to the 16th century, the beginning of the heyday of the Frisian horse.
At the far left and bottom right of the image are two Frisian shields. The shield on the left is from bygone times, old and damaged. The shield on the right is contemporary, new and intact. The shields symbolize that the past is over and that we are looking forward to the future.
As mentioned earlier, combinations of three can be seen in various places. All refer to the three times the Frisian horse nearly became extinct and to the three stallions of 1913.
For example:
Three father-son couples
Three white diagonal bars on the coats of arms
Three pointed protrusions at the top of the lance
Three matching tufts of grass
The three middle horses have their left hind hooves on the ground, the other three legs are off the ground
The number seven also plays a role.
For example:
Seven stallions
Seven pompeblêden on the right shield
Seven 'bars' in blue and white on the coats of arms
Seven gold blocks on the pennant
The seven stallions are roughly depicted in a 2-3-2 arrangement, like the seven pompeblêden on the right shield
There is more symbolism to be discovered. Perhaps more difficult to find are the smiling breeder and the lurking border guard.
