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Notes
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Géricault was a keen horseman, and his passion for horses was matched by his expert understanding of their anatomy. In 1813 he produced a number of oil studies and finished paintings, possibly including this one, of horses at the Imperial stables at Versailles. These paintings are characterised by close observation and detailed naturalism. In this picture, we see a fine thoroughbred. Géricault has shown the moment it reacts to a bolt of lightning (in the upper right corner), and presumably the accompanying clap of thunder. He avoided the more dramatic, and perhaps rather clichéd, image of a horse rearing, instead showing the animal in profile as it freezes in fear. Géricault brilliantly captured the sheen of the dappled coat as it is momentarily lit up against the near blackness of the night sky.
Title
A Horse frightened by Lightning
Date
about 1813-14
Medium
Oil on canvas
Measurements
H 48.9 x W 60.3 cm
Accession number
NG4927
Acquisition method
Bought, 1938
Work type
Painting
The National Gallery, London
Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England
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