XV - Works On Paper - Marty de Cambiaire (English)

Théodore Géricault
Rouen 1791 – Paris 1824
26
Four harnessed horses seen from behind, and a groom
Graphite. Monogram G at the lower right
Inscribed Géricault on the original mounting sheet
190 x 155 mm (7 1 /2 x 6 1 /8 in.)
Arriving in England in April 1820 and then for the
second time in 1821, Géricault brought with him
his own vision of horses and of the equestrian
world. Nourished by a personal passion that can be
traced back to his childhood – Rosenthal relates that
the young Géricault waited for luxury equipages to
come out of the grand Parisian hotels to be able
to see the long-necked Mecklenburgers 1 – and,
enriched by his training with Carle Vernet and by
the Italian journey, this vision however does not find
a resonance in England, where the models in vogue
were those developed by the imagery related to
the racing world and sporting art. Thus, in London,
Géricault abandoned his romantic representation of
horses, as seen in An Officer of the Imperial Horse
Guards Charging and The Wounded Cuirassier, and
of wild and untameable horses, such as in Riderless
Racers in Rome, and tried to take an interest in
racing horses, a true instrument for demonstrating
one’s social status and business success. This
exploration culminated in the Epsom Derby painted
for his friend and landlord, the horse dealer Adam
Elsmore.
Fig 1. T. Géricault, Entrance to the Adelphi Wharf, lithograph.
But more than these aristocratic mounts, it was
draught horses – a real working tool and veritable
instrument in the development of industrial
economy – that captured his attention, and maybe
even his affection. At the same time, the technique
of lithography which enjoyed “inconceivable
success” 2 in London gave him an opportunity to
explore the English equestrian world. In the series
published by the editor Charles Hullmandel, Various
Subjects Drawn from Life and on Stone and The
English Suite, he plunged into the heart of English
streets, and the lives of the common people, the
world of blacksmith farriers, hauling workers and
coalmen. A lithograph by Volmar published in Paris
by Villain and by Gihaut The Return to the Stable 3
shows that he continued to be interested “in the
strength of draught horses which he had discovered
in England” and which may have reminded him of
his childhood in Normandy.
The present, previously unpublished drawing
comes from an album assembled in the 19 th century.
It has preserved its freshness and the attribution was
already known, as its mounting sheet bore a label
with the inscription Géricault. Its subject connects
the drawing with the world of the horses employed
both in agriculture and in industry. The perspective
is quite original, the high vantage point reveals the
strong croups of the four animals harnessed on
both sides by shafts. The lithographs Entrance to
the Adelphi Wharf (Fig. 1) and Six Horses going to
a Fair (Fig. 2), as well as the painting The Plaster
Kiln (Fig. 3, Paris, Musée du Louvre) all belong to
the same category of unvarnished representation
revealing a search for realism: seen from behind
or in profile, men and horses move their working
bodies in unison. At the same time Géricault
skilfully renders the strength of their movements
and the heaviness of their hard working bodies. A
86