Amazons on Horseback c. 1827

Curator: This drawing at the Harvard Art Museums is entitled "Amazons on Horseback" by Pierre-Jean David d'Angers. Editor: It feels like a quick sketch, but even in its raw form, it conveys a sense of fierce movement, like a scene ripped from an epic poem. Curator: David d'Angers was a master of capturing dynamism; the composition itself—the diagonal thrust of the horses, the overlapping figures—contributes to this feeling of unrestrained energy. Editor: I am immediately struck by the contrast of the figures; the horses possess a real muscular bulk, while the Amazons seem almost ethereal atop them. It makes the scene feel both grounded and fantastical. Curator: Precisely, it's as if he's exploring the tension between the real and the mythic, which is fitting considering the legendary status of the Amazons themselves. Editor: Indeed, it seems d’Angers succeeded in conjuring a vision of both power and poetry in this study. Curator: A remarkable testament to the power of preliminary sketches.