Study of a Horse 

Curator: Welcome. Here we have Eugène Delacroix's "Study of a Horse." We believe it was likely done en plein-air. Editor: Well, hello there, horsey! He looks a little melancholic, doesn’t he? Or maybe just supremely bored. Curator: Delacroix was fascinated by animals, particularly horses. He felt they embodied a raw, untamed energy that resonated with his Romantic sensibilities. His horse paintings can be seen as commentaries of freedom and the sublime power of nature. Editor: Definitely feeling that "untamed energy," though it's a very contained untamed. He looks penned, and a little sad. Like he is not galloping across the open plains. There’s a real tenderness in the way Delacroix captured the horse’s downcast gaze, and even in its shape. The painting style feels soft and muted—it reinforces this sense of pensiveness. Curator: It's interesting that you mention that, considering Delacroix had spent quite a long time looking at, and sketching horses from life. We know he went on frequent trips to the countryside explicitly to observe and draw animals in their natural surroundings, particularly in stables or open fields, in order to hone the expressionistic quality within them. He was studying anatomy and movement to channel emotion on the canvas. Editor: I think that what comes across is the artist observing himself observe. He captures this, "am I feeling this or is it actually like this" vibe really beautifully here. It’s as if he's inviting us into the stables for an honest moment of connection. Like he felt deeply for the horse and its condition. Curator: Delacroix had a significant influence on the Impressionists, who also explored light and movement, though from a slightly different ideological stance. And he undoubtedly laid a cornerstone in modern figurative animal painting. Editor: Ultimately it speaks of longing. Curator: Indeed. It presents a nuanced portrayal, an image that makes us question the boundaries of artistic freedom, the impact of form, and the nature of a historical moment. Editor: Precisely, like it invites empathy across centuries. What an odd and charming exercise.