Caucasian Horseman

Created by Aleksander Orłowski in 1814, Caucasian Horseman depicts a mounted Circassian rider and reflects the early nineteenth-century fascination with the peoples and military cultures of the Caucasus.

The rider is shown in profile, dressed in regional costume and seated on a richly observed horse, giving the image both a documentary and a romantic character.

One notable detail is the tamga displayed on the horse, identified as the mark of the noble Circassian Nazran family.

The work is dated 1814 and is listed as a graphic work by Orłowski, executed in watercolour and ceruse on paper pasted onto cardboard, measuring approximately 54.5 by 43 centimetres.

Today, Caucasian Horseman is associated with the Dagestan Museum of Fine Arts named after P. S. Gamzatova, with provenance from the State Tretyakov Gallery.