Théodore Géricault

Monteux Collection;
Jacques Guérin, Luzarches;
Private Collection,
sale, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 15 March 1985, lot 33,
where acquired by the present owner

C. Clément, Géricault: étude biographique et critique avec le catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre du maître, Paris 1879, pp. 404-405, under no. 87/1;
G. Bazin, Théodore Géricault: étude critique, documents et catalogue raisonné, vol. VII, Paris 1997, p. 203, no. 2496, reproduced, fig. 2496, also cited p. 41

Partially laid down and window mounted, however verso of sheet visible as backing sheet has been cut to reveal the back of the drawing where there are black chalk inscriptions. Overall in excellent condition. The medium remains extremely fresh and vibrant. Sheet relatively free from staining with only a few small light brown stains. Sold in a carved and gilded frame.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Lithographed:
By Godefroy Engelmann (Fig. 1).¹

As is clear from drawings such as lot 172 above, Géricault’s deep love of all things equine was satiated on his arrival in England in April 1820, with his introduction to English equestrian painting.  However, beyond the formality and somewhat rigid tradition of this genre lay an additional source of inspiration for the Frenchman, who whilst spending time in London, became increasingly fascinated with the subject of draft-horses.  These noble creatures, so much a feature of early industrial Britain, appeared frequently in a series of twelve lithographs designed by Gericault, known as his Série anglaise, and published in London in early 1821.

Although it is generally thought to have been executed during the artist's time in England, the present drawing was not in fact used for of Gericault’s Série anglaise, serving instead as the basis for a lithograph produced in 1823 by Godefroy Engelmann and published by Madame Hulin in Paris.

¹ L. Delteil, Le Peintre-Graveur Illustré: Theodore Gericault, Paris 1924, no. 73, reproduced