Dimensions: support: 111 x 160 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: Here we have James Seymour's sketch, "A Horseman Galloping." Drawn with red chalk, it has a light and airy feel, but the horse’s posture really conveys speed. What strikes you about this work? Curator: It's a study, isn't it? A fleeting moment captured with such beautiful economy. I see the artist wrestling with movement, with the anatomy of a creature in full flight. You can almost feel the wind. Do you feel it too? Editor: Absolutely, there’s so much energy despite the simplicity. Curator: Precisely! And perhaps that’s the magic. Seymour wasn’t trying to create a perfect image but rather understand something vital, something that gallops just beyond our grasp. Editor: That's a fantastic point. It really opens my eyes to the artist's process. Curator: Mine too! It’s lovely to ponder the unfinished.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/seymour-a-horseman-galloping-t09222
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Red chalk was a particularly useful drawing material because it could easily be manipulated to create a variety of different types of line. The outline of the horse and rider is quite dark and dense. The artist may have achieved this either by applying strong pressure to the chalk or by wetting it first. He then added minimal shading with parallel diagonal lines. These are lighter and softer than the outlines and were probably drawn with dry chalk applied with little pressure. Gallery label, August 2004
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