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This is a drawing of a rearing horse. The drawing captures a horse in an energetic pose, with its front legs raised. The sketch is rendered on aged, slightly stained paper, with careful attention paid to the contours of the horse's body, its musculature, and the fluid motion of its tail. Delicate shading gives the drawing depth and a sense of three-dimensionality. French text is written alongside the horse.
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This is a drawing of a rearing horse. The drawing captures a horse in an energetic pose, with its front legs raised. The sketch is rendered on aged, slightly stained paper, with careful attention paid to the contours of the horse's body, its musculature, and the fluid motion of its tail. Delicate shading gives the drawing depth and a sense of three-dimensionality. French text is written alongside the horse.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

An Antique Sculpture of a Horse

Jacques-Louis David

Date
1780
Medium
graphite on laid paper
Dimensions
overall: 23.9 x 34.1 cm (9 7/16 x 13 7/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
1995.47.30
Credit line
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon
Time span
1776 to 1800
Department
CG-E
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • French
  • object
  • mammal
  • animal
  • Horse
  • Statue
  • Neoclassic
Provenance

Possibly Charles Saunier (1865-1941; close to Lugt 567a and 567b), Paris; K.E. Maison, London; Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, Upperville, VA, 1963; gift to NGA, 1995.

Inscription

lower left in graphite: cheval antique à la galerie de Florence / ce qui n'est pas fini est ce qui manquoit / dans l'original; by later hand, lower right in pen and brown ink: I.S.(?); by later hand, lower left in graphite: rDr(?)

NGA object ID 93052. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.