What does the white horse mean?
By Denise Winterman and Finlo Rohrer BBC News Magazine A giant statue of a white horse has been chosen to be the new “Angel of the South” at Ebbsfleet. But why is this giant steed such an important symbol? There is a stereotypical artistic representation of the horse. It rears back on its hind legs, its front hooves are raised, its eyes stare wildly, mane and tail fly in an imaginary wind, every sinew is strained. “We see horses drawing chariots or the horse’s hooves crushing a barbarian peasant” Stephen Budiansky Historian Giant horse to become 2m artwork And the person on its back is usually thinking about doing somebody a grievous injury with a sharp metal object. Think of the painting of Napoleon and his horse Marengo crossing the alps, think of the statues of Alexander the Great and his horse Bucephalus, think even of the Duke of Wellington on a rather excitable horse. Man has been trying to “do” horses in artistic form for as long as we have been trying to ride them. And there’s
