Portrait of a horse Essor

Wojciech Kossak, ESSOR, ref. No. “Essor/ Wojciech Kossak/ 1931” The portrait of Essor stallion was commissioned ca. 1931 from Wojciech Kossak probably by Count Alfred Potocki. Starting from 1930, Essor from ordynat's stables won a number of prizes at the Warsaw Derby, so it may be assumed that Łańcut Ordynat wished to have the horse’s portrait painted. The auburn stallion Essor by Bafur out of Elaunay born in Albigowa was sold in 1928. As the property of Count Konstanty Zamoyski and M. Radwan, in 1930 Essor won the race for two-year-old stallions and mares at the Warsaw track. In 1931, Essor took the second position with respect to the sums won in five starts. A year later Essor won the Warsaw Derby. Kossak painted the beautiful head of the auburn stallion with a white blaze, also showing a slightly curved neck and a fragment of the horse’s chest, thus creating a bust. The head with a yellow cheekpiece was shown en trois quatre. Thus, a very elegant portrait of the horse was created, one of few portraits painted by Kossak in this form. Aldona Cholewianka-Kruszyńska