Mounted Officer from the Back

Mounted Officer from the Back is a rigorous drawing created in 1810 by the master of French Neoclassicism, Jacques-Louis David French, 1748-1825. This exceptional work, executed in black chalk on delicate ivory laid paper, demonstrates the artist's keen observational skill and his commitment to precise, volumetric modeling, typical of the studies he produced during the height of the Napoleonic Empire. David, serving as the era’s chief chronicler and Premier Peintre to Napoleon, consistently utilized drawing as a preparatory method for developing complex, large-scale compositions, though this piece functions as a deeply focused figure study.

The subject is viewed resolutely from the rear, emphasizing the heavy military uniform and the powerful outline of the mounted figure. Created in France during a period defined by constant military campaigns, this drawing offers an intimate glimpse into the visual research of the artist. David’s masterful handling of the black chalk allows him to emphasize the textural quality of the cloak and the muscular form of the horse beneath the officer. The meticulous hatching and precise contours reveal the enduring influence of the classical ideals that defined David’s revolutionary aesthetic.

As a crucial record of early 19th-century French draftsmanship, the work is highly valued for its technical accomplishment and historical context. This drawing is now housed in the esteemed collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it contributes to the museum’s comprehensive holdings of European works on paper. Though David’s grand narrative paintings often receive the majority of academic attention, pieces like Mounted Officer from the Back provide valuable insight into the discipline and process of this foundational artist. High-resolution images and prints of this historically significant drawing, now available through public domain collections, continue to be used widely by scholars examining the Neoclassical period.