Lady Duff

Frantiszek Streybl, Lady Duff, signed “LADY DUFF”/ F.STREYBL/004” The Czech painter Frantiszek Streybl created a whole series (six) portraits of Łańcut horses, the first one in 1897 and the last in 1912. They present the countess’ mares. Among them, there were field hunters, namely horses used for par force hunting that was organised in Łańcut by third ordynat since 1897 in Łańcut. Field hunters were primarily purchased in Ireland. They were brought to Vienna, and from there shipped by the Potocki stable servants to Łańcut. The field hunters occupied a luxury stable, provided with a sewage system and erected in 1892. Next to the stables, there was a pool where the horses were bathed. According to the contemporary fashion, their coat was shaved (left unshaven at the back under the saddle) and their manes were docked. The stable crew underwent a training on how to properly take care of the tails and manes of field hunters in Solcy in the estate of Count Larisch-Moenich. Count Potocka was an excellent rider; throughout her life she was riding in a sidesaddle fashion and always used mares. Her horse riding skills were emphasised, as well as her excellent ˗ as for a lady ˗ stamina, which allowed her to participate together with men in the par force hunting. When Countess Betka Potocka created her memoir in the 1930s (alas, quite brief), she devoted a whole paragraph to her saddle mares and listed several of them by name, e.g. Adair, Mayflower and Duchesse. Other mares of Countess Potocka were Lady Duff, Edith, Deaconnes, Primarose, Grammy and Lilly. Streybl portrayed Elżbieta Potocka’s field hunters in their boxes. The most beautiful portrait, of 1904, shows saddled Lady Duff in the hall of the newly erected Castle Stables. Aldona Cholewianka-Kruszyńska