Who painted Sheet of Sketches (verso)?

Sheet of Sketches (verso) was painted by Théodore Géricault in 1819.

Where can I see Sheet of Sketches (verso)?

Sheet of Sketches (verso) is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Sheet of Sketches (verso)?

Sheet of Sketches (verso) is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Sheet of Sketches (verso)

Théodore Géricault , 1819

Sheet of Sketches (verso) is a drawing by the Romanticist artist Théodore Géricault. It dates from 1819 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

The women’s shapes show through from the other side of the paper, copied from ancient Roman wall paintings he saw in Pompeii.

You see a sheet of quick pencil sketches: men wrestling horses, women in loose robes, a few scribbled heads.

Géricault drew these outdoors, near a spring in the Fontainebleau forest. The men look like the ones he studied in Italy—peasants at horse races, muscles straining before the race starts. The women’s shapes show through from the other side of the paper, copied from ancient Roman wall paintings he saw in Pompeii.

Look up more of his work under Théodore Géricault (French, 1791–1824).

Overview

This sheet contains a series of rapid pencil sketches executed by Théodore Géricault in 1819. The drawings were made outdoors at a spring called Magdelaine, situated near the forest of Fontainebleau. The paper bears an inscription noting the location and date of the studies.

Subject & Meaning

The male figures depict riders struggling to control horses before a race, echoing earlier studies Géricault produced in Italy of peasants at Roman carnival horse races. The female figures, visible through the paper from the reverse side, are derived from Pompeian frescoes portraying bacchanalian revelers, suggesting an interest in classical festive scenes.

Technique & Style

Rendered in quick, gestural pencil strokes, the sketches emphasize dynamic movement and muscular tension. The figures are rendered with minimal detail, focusing on the overall pose and energy rather than precise anatomy, characteristic of preparatory studies.

History & Provenance

Géricault noted the location of the sketches on the sheet itself, linking them to his 1819 fieldwork in the Fontainebleau area. The verso side contains the transposed female figures, indicating the paper was reused, a common practice for artists working en plein air.

Context

The drawings reflect Géricault’s ongoing fascination with equestrian subjects and his study of classical antiquity, themes that recur throughout his career. By juxtaposing contemporary rural riders with ancient festival imagery, the artist explores the continuity of public spectacle across time.