The equestrian king

Christian V of Denmark-Norway (1646-1699) is the supreme horseman among the kings of Denmark-Norway. By nature he was unintellectual and delighted in outdoor activities. Well aware of his limitations but fired with a sense of duty, he tried to overcome the hereditary political problem of the autocracy: Denmark-Norway was pent up between powerful Sweden in the north and its ally, Holstein-Gottorp, to the south, and Christian's aim was to break the encirclement. This meant rearmament - in fact, a militarisation of society - in which the horse played a pivotal part, indispensible as it was to the military operations at the time, in addition to being a symbol of princely power.

The result was a revival of the royal stud farm, which was now established on the King's estate in North Zealand. Through consistent breeding by colour, a horse was evolved here which achieved a European reputation. It was called the Frederiksborg, after the castle built by Christian V's grandfather and chosen mentor in politics, Christian IV (1577-1648).

The contemporary view of Christian V's equestrian interest is described by Anders Bording in the newspaper "Danske Mercurius", in connection with the King's accession in 1670: "Such time as he from government can spare / He will ever use with care / Now tilts he at the ring, now dashed he to horse: / Unfailingly the best and fairest of the course." This flattering verdict is corroborated by diaries and travelogues from the court of Christian V.

We can distinguish three contexts in which the King appears on horseback. Firstly, there is Christian V's love of travel and speed. On his famous voyage to Norway in 1685, the King covered 4,500 kilometers in nine weeks and three days - and the journey from Copenhagen to Kolding on 29th June 1681, which at that time meant more than 215 kilometers on horseback and two crossings of the Belts, was completed between 3 in the morning and 10 at night.

Another of Christian V's favourite diversions was parforce hunting in Dyrehaven, a hunting park he had laid out north of Copenhagen. On these hunts a record was always kept of the number of tines and tops on the antlers of each deer killed. A note was also made as to whether the Queen had been present and witnessed the hunt. Apart from the physical wellbeing which it conferred, hunting was also a welcome relaxation from the rigours of court ceremony.

The third and most spectacular use of the horse was at the great carousels which were organised during the reign of Christian V. These carousels were a permanent ingredient of all celebrations, such as the wedding of his sister, Princess Ulrika Eleonora, to Charles XI of Sweden in 1680.

The carefully devised ceremonial of the carousels is reflected by the 1685 manuscript. The individual events are vividly illustrated in the series of carousel paintings dating from about 1690. These are also repotage pictures, disguised as equestrian portraits, and they have their counterpart in another series of paintings of airs of haute école.