Adam Frans van der Meulen (1632-1690) - Study of a horse lying on its right side

Adam Frans van der Meulen (1632-1690) Flemish, French

Study of a horse lying on its right side seen from the front

Inscribed: “Van der Meulen f.”
Red chalk on paper
unframed: 20.5 x 24.5 cm (8 1/8 x 9 5/8 in, irregularly cut)
framed: 42 x 45 cm (16 1/2 x 17 3/4 in)

Provenance:
Jean-Marc Du Pan (1785–1838), Geneva (L. 1440), passed to his brother
Alexandre-Louis Du Pan (1787–1846);
his sale, Geneva, March 26–28, 1840, included in lots 913–917;
Collection of Marie de Rohan-Chabot, Princess Lucien Murat, Paris;
Collection of Louis Stern;
Aguttes Auction, Paris, 2019, lot 4;
Acquired above by an important private collection, Stockholm.

Essay:
This exquisite red chalk drawing by Adam Frans van der Meulen depicts a horse lying on its right side, viewed from the front. It serves as a preparatory study for the left horse featured in one of the plates from the series of ten etchings titled Horses Wounded in Battle (see image), by Jan van Huchtenberg (1647–1733) after van der Meulen’s drawings. The series was published between 1662 and 1690 under van der Meulen’s supervision (Hollstein 41; Bartsch V. 425; Weigel 1843).

Adam Frans van der Meulen, best known for his military scenes and landscapes, was granted a royal patent by Louis XIV to have his designs engraved and published. He assembled a team of skilled Flemish and Dutch printmakers, including Adriaen Frans Boudewijns, Abraham Genoels, Jan van Huchtenberg, and Romeyn de Hooghe, to translate his work into prints. The French engraver Robert Bonnart also collaborated with van der Meulen, producing and selling prints under his direction.

Van der Meulen’s designs—many of which depict landscapes, battles, and military life—were engraved and distributed to private clients. His prints were initially sold from his lodgings at the Gobelins Manufactory and later distributed by publishers and merchants. In 1670, he arranged for 13 large-scale engravings representing royal conquests and sieges to be created for the King’s Cabinet, which were later published by the Royal Printing Office in 1679. These engravings solidified his role as a propagandist for Louis XIV, contributing to the Sun King’s iconic image.

This drawing highlights van der Meulen’s masterful observation of anatomy and movement, capturing the vitality and pathos of his equestrian subjects.