Horse in harness

Henri-Geoffroy de la Planche de Ruillé, Horse, France, end of 19th century, signature: Cte G.de Ruille The Harness Room of Count Mikołaj Potocki in his Parisian stables at Avenue Friedland, similarly to the Gala Harness Room in the Castle Stables during the time of third and fourth ordynat, was a very sophisticated stable/ drawing room where, next to several harnesses presented on wood-panelled walls, also furniture, precious trinkets and horse-related paraphernalia were displayed. After the count's death in 1921, who made Alfred Antoni Potocki his successor (fourth ordynat), the harnesses and the fittings from the Parisian harness room, as a part of the inheritance after Mikołaj Potocki, were brought to Łańcut. A bronze sculpture presenting a carriage horse in a full collar was brought from Paris (where it was set on the table, in the centre of the harness room) and placed in the Gala Harness Room. Its author was Count Henri-Geoffroy de la Planche de Ruillé, author of numerous sculptures of horses, riders, Amazons, jockeys and ˗ less frequently ˗ horse teams, very popular in France at the turn of the 20th century. He rendered equine anatomy in an exquisite manner, along with details of harnesses and tack. Aldona Cholewianka-Kruszyńska