Goetz van Berlichingen's Horse

Goetz van Berlichingen's Horse is a dynamic drawing created by Eugène Delacroix in 1842, executed masterfully using pen and iron gall ink. This powerful study relates to the popular literary subject of Götz von Berlichingen, the sixteenth-century German knight whose biography was immortalized by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s dramatic play, Götz von Berlichingen mit der eisernen Hand. Delacroix, a leading figure of the French Romantic movement, was profoundly drawn to historical and literary drama, returning to this Germanic subject matter multiple times throughout his career.

As a master draftsman, Delacroix utilized the corrosive iron gall ink to achieve deep, concentrated blacks, highlighting the robust musculature and spirited energy of the animal. The quick, decisive lines characteristic of this Delacroix drawing capture the dramatic tension and swift movement associated with the warrior’s steed, aligning perfectly with the Romantic aesthetic that favored intense emotion and action. This emphasis on the study of horses is central to Delacroix's art, where the animals often symbolize untamed emotion, conflict, and physical power. The finished drawing serves as a prime example of the artist’s prolific output across various graphic mediums.

The work resides in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, solidifying its importance within the artist's graphic legacy. This type of detailed preparation or finished drawing illuminates Delacroix’s compositional process for his larger painted works. Since many of the drawings and studies created by 19th-century masters like Delacroix are now considered public domain works, high-quality archival prints of masterpieces such as this one are often accessible to researchers and collectors globally.