Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a drawing by the Romanticist artist George Chinnery. It dates from 16 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Each sheet shows the horse with its head and one front leg lifted.
George Chinnery made three quick drawings of a horse in 1825. Each sheet shows the horse with its head and one front leg lifted. A turbaned figure stands next to it—one holds a spear and shield.
The drawings belong to the Romantic period. They feel loose and direct, like a traveler’s fast notes. Small details matter here: the raised leg, the tilt of the shield.
Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works on paper.
Overview
In 1825 George Chinnery produced a set of three small drawings, each depicting a horse with its head and one foreleg elevated. Adjacent to the animal stands a figure wearing a turban; in one of the compositions the figure is armed with a spear and a shield.
Subject & Meaning
The works juxtapose the dynamic pose of the horse with a solitary, turbaned individual, suggesting a moment of readiness or confrontation. The inclusion of weaponry in one drawing adds a narrative element, hinting at a possible martial or ceremonial context.
Technique & Style
Executed rapidly, the sketches display a loose, gestural line characteristic of Romantic-era travel sketches. Chinnery emphasizes key details—the lifted leg, the angle of the shield—through swift strokes that convey movement and immediacy.
History & Provenance
Created during Chinnery’s early career, the drawings are part of his extensive output on paper from the early nineteenth century. They are now held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where they are catalogued among other works on paper from the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
George Chinnery (Chinese: 錢納利; 5 January 1774 – 30 May 1852) was an English painter who spent most of his life in Asia, especially India and southern China.
