Artwork
An Antique Sculpture of a Horse
An Antique Sculpture of a Horse is a graphite drawing by the Neoclassicist artist Jacques-Louis David. It dates from 1780 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
An Antique Sculpture of a Horse is a graphite drawing on laid paper created by Jacques-Louis David in 1780.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a galloping horse, with loose, rapid lines capturing its movement. An inscription by the artist indicates that it is a copy of an antique sculpture, suggesting an interest in classical art.
Technique & Style
The sketch features light shading and suggestive strokes, conveying the horse's musculature and movement without detailed rendering. The graphite work is characterized by quick, expressive lines, giving the impression of a rapid study.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacques-Louis David was born in Paris on 30 August 1748 into a bourgeois family; his father died in a duel when the boy was nine, and a maternal uncle guided his education.
The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries
Madame David
The Death of Socrates
Portrait of Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier and his wife
Cupid and Psyche
General Étienne-Maurice Gérard (1773–1852), Marshal of France
The Distribution of the Eagle Standards
Coronation of Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of the Empress Josephine
