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Lot Essay
Dr. Lorenz Eitner confirmed the attribution of this watercolor to
Géricault in a letter dated 12 July 1994.
Géricault's fascination with horses began in his childhood during visits to his father's family's farm in Rouen. As an artist, his mastery of this subject was developed first in the studio of Horace Vernet (1789-1863), when he made drawings of the horses in the Imperial Stables at Versailles. Later during his travels to England and Italy he depicted horses and equestrian events in local settings--such as the Barberi race in Rome, and aristocratic riders in England. The role of horses in military settings was also a source of inspiration and he depicted both historical and contemporary equestrian battles. Horses were the subject of many firsthand, rapidly executed chalk and pen studies, as well as more finished compositions in watercolor and oil of horses in stables, in battle, mounted by riders and as beasts of burden, such as the present lot.
During his visits to London in 1820 and 1821, the artist stayed in the house of his friend Adam Elmore, a horse dealer who owned stables near Hyde Park. Géricault's interest in British culture spanned all aspects of class and society, and more so than any other place, he was interested in the lives and activities of the working class in England. The culmination of this was the 1821 publication of Various Subjects Drawn from Life and on Stone which included 13 lithographs of everyday life of the lower classes in England. One of these lithographs, Entrance to the Adelphi Wharf, also depicted the coal wagon as its subject, with the horses and coalman seen from behind entering a brick tunnel (fig. 1; Bazin, op. cit., pp. 68-9, no. 2131). Coalwagons were also the subject of several other watercolors by Géricault, most notably one at the British Museum, London which includes more horses and a wider landscape than the Krugier drawing (fig. 2; Bazin, op. cit., no. 2167).
The present watercolor shows a coal wagon being pulled by two horses, one of which seems to be headed in a different direction thanks to a broken shaft. The coalman, his expression determined and his whip raised, struggles to bring the animal back in line. Here Géricault conveys both the power and dignity of man and horse through his focus on their everyday activities. The coalman's pose even mimics that of antique sculpture. La charrette à charbon combined the artist's love of horses with his interest in everyday life in England. While in his compositions of English horses and riders, both man and animal reflect a haughty elegance, here they are united by the toilsome nature of their job.
(fig. 1) Jean-Louis-Théodore Géricault, Entrance to the Adelphi Wharf. The British Museum, London.
(fig. 2) Jean-Louis-Théodore Géricault, The coal wagon. The British Museum, London.
Géricault in a letter dated 12 July 1994.
Géricault's fascination with horses began in his childhood during visits to his father's family's farm in Rouen. As an artist, his mastery of this subject was developed first in the studio of Horace Vernet (1789-1863), when he made drawings of the horses in the Imperial Stables at Versailles. Later during his travels to England and Italy he depicted horses and equestrian events in local settings--such as the Barberi race in Rome, and aristocratic riders in England. The role of horses in military settings was also a source of inspiration and he depicted both historical and contemporary equestrian battles. Horses were the subject of many firsthand, rapidly executed chalk and pen studies, as well as more finished compositions in watercolor and oil of horses in stables, in battle, mounted by riders and as beasts of burden, such as the present lot.
During his visits to London in 1820 and 1821, the artist stayed in the house of his friend Adam Elmore, a horse dealer who owned stables near Hyde Park. Géricault's interest in British culture spanned all aspects of class and society, and more so than any other place, he was interested in the lives and activities of the working class in England. The culmination of this was the 1821 publication of Various Subjects Drawn from Life and on Stone which included 13 lithographs of everyday life of the lower classes in England. One of these lithographs, Entrance to the Adelphi Wharf, also depicted the coal wagon as its subject, with the horses and coalman seen from behind entering a brick tunnel (fig. 1; Bazin, op. cit., pp. 68-9, no. 2131). Coalwagons were also the subject of several other watercolors by Géricault, most notably one at the British Museum, London which includes more horses and a wider landscape than the Krugier drawing (fig. 2; Bazin, op. cit., no. 2167).
The present watercolor shows a coal wagon being pulled by two horses, one of which seems to be headed in a different direction thanks to a broken shaft. The coalman, his expression determined and his whip raised, struggles to bring the animal back in line. Here Géricault conveys both the power and dignity of man and horse through his focus on their everyday activities. The coalman's pose even mimics that of antique sculpture. La charrette à charbon combined the artist's love of horses with his interest in everyday life in England. While in his compositions of English horses and riders, both man and animal reflect a haughty elegance, here they are united by the toilsome nature of their job.
(fig. 1) Jean-Louis-Théodore Géricault, Entrance to the Adelphi Wharf. The British Museum, London.
(fig. 2) Jean-Louis-Théodore Géricault, The coal wagon. The British Museum, London.