Monte Cavallo, with the Horse Tamers

Monte Cavallo, with the Horse Tamers by Jacques-Louis David is a significant drawing created between 1775 and 1780. Executed in brown ink and gray wash over graphite on laid paper, this work demonstrates the artist's masterful draftsmanship and intense interest in classical antiquity during his early career. David meticulously captured the monumental scale and dramatic energy of the famous Roman sculpture grouping, traditionally identified as the Horse Tamers (the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux), which stands atop the Quirinal Hill, historically known as Monte Cavallo.

This piece originated during a crucial moment for the young David, following his arrival in Rome after winning the Prix de Rome. Falling within the historical period of 1751 to 1775, this study reflects the intense scholarly focus on ideal classical forms that defined the emerging Neoclassical movement in French art. While in Italy, David devoted himself to studying ancient statuary and Renaissance masters, using rigorous exercises like this drawing to absorb the ideals of heroism, proportion, and rational composition. The application of gray wash over the graphite outlines gives the figures a strong sense of weight and volume, establishing a powerful visual foundation for the compositional clarity that would characterize David’s later, seminal paintings.

The drawing serves as an important document of David's foundational engagement with classical sources before he returned to France to become the dominant history painter of his generation. This work, classified specifically as a preparatory drawing illustrating the enduring appeal of the Roman antique, resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. Due to the cultural importance of this French drawing and its historical timeframe, high-quality reference prints of the piece are often made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring widespread scholarly access to David’s early interpretative process.