Sketches: Stable Boy Carrying a Bucket 1818 - 1819

Théodore Géricault created this graphite sketch of a stable boy carrying a bucket, among other figures, at an unknown date. Géricault lived in a time of immense social upheaval in France, and he was very interested in the lives of everyday people. Here, the artist gives us glimpses into the working class, a group often overlooked in the art of his time. We see figures who seem caught between labor and leisure, their clothing suggesting a life of work, yet their poses hint at moments of rest or observation. The stable boy himself, carrying what looks like a heavy bucket, represents the physical demands placed on the working class. The sketch is unfinished, raw, and honest. It invites us to consider the narratives of those who often remain unseen, reflecting on how class and labor shape individual identities and experiences.