Horse (from Sketchbook) 1835 - 1839

This pencil sketch, titled "Horse (from Sketchbook)", was created by American artist Francis William Edmonds between 1835 and 1839. The drawing depicts a single horse, standing in profile, captured with loose, expressive strokes. Its simplicity and directness exemplify Edmonds’s talent for observation and his preference for realism, characteristic of American art in the 19th century. The horse, likely a workhorse, is depicted in a straightforward pose, its anatomy carefully rendered, making the artwork valuable for its anatomical study. This piece, now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, showcases the artist's early development and his focus on everyday subjects.