Arab Horseman at the Gallop

Executed with loose, gestural graphite lines, the drawing prioritises the impression of speed over precise detail. The horse’s flared wings and the rider’s billowing cloak are suggested through swift strokes, while the background consists of only a few undulating marks, reinforcing the focus on movement.

Delacroix produced the piece during a period when he drew inspiration from the dynamism of Rubens and the coloristic vigor of the Venetian Renaissance, though the work itself is monochrome. After remaining in private hands, it entered the National Gallery of Art’s holdings, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s Romantic-era drawing collection.