Original Antique Engraving: Duke of Newcastle Instructing Horse Dressage, 1743

Plate 17 from "La Methode et Invention nouvelle de Dresser les Chevaux" portrays William Cavendish, the first Duke of Newcastle, providing instructions to Captain Mazin in the art of dressage. Original copper engraving after Abraham van Diepenbeeck. This exceptional plate is from 'A General System of Horsemanship in All Its Branches', part of William Cavendish's influential work on equestrian dressage. Cavendish, a prominent politician, soldier, and staunch Royalist, fought for Charles I during the English Civil War. He established a renowned riding school in Antwerp, where he trained Barbary horses acquired from Paris. His groundbreaking book, 'La Methode et Invention nouvelle de Dresser les Chevaux', first published in 1657, introduced revolutionary equestrian training techniques. The English edition, 'A General System Of Horsemanship In All Its Branches', was released in 1743, featuring exquisite illustrations of Cavendish demonstrating his mastery at his Antwerp ménage and various English estates like Bolsover Castle and Welbeck Abbey.…