The Runaway Horse, By Carle Vernet (1758–1836)

Graphite pencil, monogrammed in the lower right corner, restored in the lower and upper right corners; view size 9.7 x 14.7 cm

Charles Horace Vernet, known as Carle Vernet, was the son of the painter Joseph Vernet. Winner of the Prix de Rome in 1782 and a brilliant equestrian artist, he specialized in depicting riders on horseback. In addition to paintings, he produced numerous sketches intended for books illustrated with engravings, as well as lithographic drawings (Les Incroyables, Les Merveilleuses, Les petits métiers de Paris, etc.), several of which were adapted by Théodore Géricault. A painter of recognized talent, he appears in the group portrait *Réunion d’artistes dans l’atelier d’Isabey* (1798) painted by Louis-Léopold Boilly (now in the Louvre), and accompanied Bonaparte, then First Consul, during the Italian Campaign (1800). He was the father of the painter Horace Vernet, who would go on to have a brilliant career as a military painter.

The drawing presented here is representative of Carle Vernet’s work: a rider attempts to grab the reins of a runaway horse. It illustrates the artist’s keen understanding of equine anatomy and demonstrates the confidence of his line work. A lithograph was made from this drawing by the famous early 19th-century lithographer François-Séraphin Delpech.

The drawing is sold in a presentation that includes a pH-neutral backing board, an off-white beveled mat, a sealed protective enclosure, 2 mm-thick glass, a hanging fixture, and a modern frame. If you would like to purchase the drawing without the modern frame, please contact the gallery before making your purchase.