Battle Scene with Armored Figures on Horseback (recto)

Battle Scene with Armored Figures on Horseback (recto) is an intense and dynamic drawing by Edgar Degas, executed in black crayon between 1856 and 1860. This pivotal period marks the artist’s rigorous academic training, during which he focused intently on historical and military subjects derived from classical and Renaissance sources. The choice of medium, black crayon, allows Degas to capture the rapid motion and violence of the engagement with powerful, decisive strokes, highlighting his foundational skill in classical draftsmanship before his later shift toward modern Parisian life.

The scene depicts a turbulent cavalry confrontation, where mounted, armored figures clash, utilizing quick cross-hatching to define mass, shadow, and the dramatic thrust of the conflict. While Degas would ultimately become famous for his compositions of dancers and racehorses, this early piece demonstrates his mastery of rendering complex anatomical forms in action. The drawing serves as a critical document, revealing the depth of the artist’s early interests and the meticulous training that underpinned his later stylistic innovations.

This crucial work, classified simply as a drawing, is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. It provides important context regarding the formative years of one of France's most influential 19th-century masters. Like many preparatory works from this era, high-quality images of this drawing are often made accessible via public domain resources, allowing scholars worldwide to study the evolution of Degas’s artistic vision from historical narrative toward Impressionism.