FIRST TEMPLARS IN BATTLE ATTIRE ON HORSEBACK – original 18th-century engraving

Original etching by Jacques-Charles Bar, hand-enhanced with watercolor

France, circa 1780–1790
Dimensions: 41 cm × 26 cm
Size : 16.2" × 10.2"
Condition: excellent – laid paper, intact margins, visible plate mark

An extremely rare representation of the earliest Knights of the Temple, Hugues de Payns and Geoffroy de Saint-Omer, depicted riding the same horse, in accordance with the traditional seal of the Order.
This image, both hieratic and fraternal, expresses with exceptional symbolic power the three founding virtues of the Temple: poverty, unity, and absolute devotion.
It embodies spiritual chivalry in its purest form, poised between Christian mysticism and monastic heroism.

The work belongs to the great engraved cycle created by Jacques-Charles Bar at the end of the 18th century, devoted to the religious and military orders of Europe.
Executed in etching with a confident hand and subsequently hand-enhanced with watercolor, this plate stands out for the majestic restraint of its composition, the delicacy of its coloring, and the evocative power of its symbolism.

It should be recalled that Templar engravings from the 18th century are of extreme rarity:
before the Romantic rediscovery of the 19th century, the imagery of the Order of the Temple had largely fallen into oblivion.
Traditionally faithful representations such as this one, produced before the French Revolution, today constitute true historical testimonies, predating any later mythical or Masonic interpretations.
Few artists, like Jacques-Charles Bar, succeeded in restoring with such accuracy the visual memory of the Templars at the heart of the Age of Enlightenment.

The impression is printed on antique laid paper, with intact margins and a clearly visible plate mark, guaranteeing an authentic impression from a period hand press.
The original colors, fresh and luminous, emphasize the nobility of the subject and the rigor of the drawing.

Provenance: private European collection.

An exceptional and exceedingly rare piece on the market, of great historical and symbolic interest, ideal for a cabinet of sacred history, a Templar collection, or a scholarly, spiritually inspired interior.