Female nude on horse - Art Deco sculpture by C.Charles Mid 20th Century Equine Arts: The horse is such a graceful, elegant looking animal, its hard to imagine it has the strength to be mobilized as a beast of burden. Being blessed with superb form and proportion, its been a favourite subject with artists over the ages, and next to man, the most portrayed. The evolution of man from barbarism to civilization carries the horse hoof footprint along with it. The more successful early civilizations were all accomplished horse owners and breeders that cleverly exploited them for advantage.