Arab Horse 1822

Editor: Here we have Théodore Géricault's "Arab Horse," a print residing at the Harvard Art Museums. I'm immediately struck by the contrast between the detailed foreground and the hazy background. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: Note the “chine collé” process, a labor intensive method of applying thin paper to a sturdier support. This technique allowed for finer detail. How might the commercial demands of printmaking influenced Géricault's choice of subject, appealing to orientalist fantasies and equestrian interests of the time? Editor: So, was it about marketing? Curator: In part. Reflect on the labor involved to mass produce and sell prints like this. It wasn't just art, it was a commodity. Editor: I never thought about it that way. Thanks!