Paardenstudies 1801 - 1824

Editor: This is "Paardenstudies," or "Studies of Horses," by Théodore Géricault, created sometime between 1801 and 1824. It's a pencil drawing and it feels like a flurry of motion, like the artist was trying to capture these animals in a very immediate way. What stands out to you when you look at this? Curator: Well, it's compelling to think about this as a process of artistic labor. Géricault isn't just depicting horses; he's engaging in a very physical, material act of mark-making. You can see the energy in the pencil strokes, a kind of labor etched into the paper itself. Consider also the availability and cost of paper and pencils during that era; that also shapes the type of studies he can achieve. Does that framing shift how you read the image at all? Editor: It does. I was initially just seeing it as preparatory, you know, studies for a painting. But thinking about the *making* of the study itself, the artist’s labor, gives it more weight. Are you suggesting that these sketches are almost like…early examples of performance art? Curator: Perhaps that's going too far, but thinking about materiality brings forth different questions. How much access did Géricault have to these animals? Was he from the equestrian class himself? Did these animals have particular social functions in the context of his world? It makes me wonder how different social classes saw these animals at the time. Editor: That's interesting! I was so focused on the art historical “Romanticism” aspect, I didn't even consider the social context. It’s a sketch, yes, but the *how* and *why* are very revealing. Curator: Exactly. Examining the materials and context unveils a whole other layer, and these lines now tell more than the contours of these beasts, doesn’t it? Editor: Definitely. Now I want to go research the equestrian culture of 19th century France! Thanks!