THE CELESTIAL STEED
Caught fast in the chasm between night and day, The Celestial Steed is paused in step. Below the heraldic sun, lit by the moon of Galileo Galilei and gilded by the stars of Giotto, we see the pure architectural majesty of this magnificent mount. The silvered metallics of the armoured sabaton and glove are softened by carnations, a simple symbol of divine and earthy love under a cosmic sky. Known as ‘solsequeter’, daisies below open and close with the sun; a powerful sign of resurrection.
INSPIRATION
The Celestial Steed was inspired by Italian Renaissance paintings and cultural events alongside beliefs and attitudes of the era; the dichotomy of idealism versus naturalism opening a portal to landscapes of fantasy, a ‘New World’. Inspired by Orso, the unrecognised equestrian star of the famous jousting tournament held by Lorenzo di Medici in 1469, the stark, strong motif of this design was largely influenced by the disarming boldness and architectural simplicity of Antonio Pisanello’s studies of horse heads in his famed Codex Vallardi, alongside equestrian works by Dürer, and various frescoes and masterpieces of the Renaissance era.
A CLOSER LOOK
The armorial elements, such as the sabaton shoe atop the steed’s back, the gauntlet below, and the candy-striped jousting pole all reference historical examples from the Renaissance, while the horse’s striped and embellished carnival attire was inspired by a German illustrated tournament book of the era. The inclusion of sheer fabric is an allusion to Renaissance artwork and symbolism; a juxtaposition of strength and delicacy. Similarly, the metallic armorial elements are holding dainty, fragile flowers; carnations symbolising devotion and divine love, daisies mirroring solar movements throughout day and night; the setting of the sun is inevitably followed by its rising, and there can be no more powerful symbol of hope and resurrection.
The whimsical text within the design references Giuliano di Medici’s famous mount.
