Study of a Horse

Study of a Horse by Eugène Delacroix is a powerful example of preparatory draftsmanship executed during the pivotal years of the artist’s early maturity, circa 1820-1835. Classified as a drawing, the work is rendered in pen and brown ink on cream laid paper, a medium that allows Delacroix to emphasize vitality and gesture through rapid, expressive strokes. The depiction captures the animal’s anatomy with precision, focusing on the taut musculature and dynamic posture crucial for conveying the energy that characterized the French Romantic movement.

Delacroix, considered the paramount figure of Romanticism in France, relied heavily on such studies to inform his monumental history paintings, many of which centered on cavalry battles, hunting scenes, or dramatic Orientalist narratives. This study showcases the immediacy of the artist’s observation, utilizing varied line weights and cross-hatching to build form and imply shadow, capturing the light reflecting off the horse’s coat. The swiftness of the pen work suggests the drawing was used to capture a momentary movement, demonstrating Delacroix’s prioritization of expressive emotion over neoclassical rigidity.

This particular Study of a Horse serves as a vital record of the technical process used by the 19th-century master. It underscores the Romantic commitment to natural subjects and passionate intensity, elements that profoundly influenced subsequent generations of European artists. The work resides within the esteemed collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, preserving a key example of the expressive power of Delacroix’s draftsmanship.