The Wild Horse, or Frightened Horse Leaving the Water

The Wild Horse, or Frightened Horse Leaving the Water, created by Eugène Delacroix in 1828, is a masterful example of French Romantic printmaking. This dynamic study was executed as a lithograph, utilizing a beige tint stone, a technical choice that adds atmospheric depth and subtle tonal variation to the dramatic composition. Delacroix was a central figure in the Romantic movement, prioritizing intense emotion, untamed movement, and psychological intensity over the classical restraint favored by his contemporaries.

Delacroix frequently returned to the powerful iconography of the horse, employing the animal to embody untamed natural energy and heightened states of distress. Here, the subject is depicted at the moment of frenzied flight, its muscular form straining as it bursts from the water. The handling of the lithographic crayon emphasizes the texture of the wet mane and the frantic action, capturing the emotional sublime inherent in nature’s power. Created during a period when the artist was exploring Orientalist themes and exotic travel, this image exemplifies the era's fascination with the sublime and the wild.

As one of the most celebrated prints produced by the artist, this work demonstrates Delacroix’s facility with the new technique of lithography, which enabled him to disseminate his dramatic style more widely than oil paintings allowed. The classification of this piece as a print confirms its role in popularizing Romantic imagery throughout France. This significant work is held in the graphic arts collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Due to its age and historical importance, The Wild Horse, or Frightened Horse Leaving the Water is frequently studied and referenced among historical prints available through public domain initiatives.