Artwork Page for Man Clutching a Horse in Water, after Poussin's "Deluge" (recto); Compositional Study? (possibly for "Poussin's Deluge") (verso)

Details / Information for Man Clutching a Horse in Water, after Poussin's "Deluge" (recto); Compositional Study? (possibly for "Poussin's Deluge") (verso)

Man Clutching a Horse in Water, after Poussin's "Deluge" (recto); Compositional Study? (possibly for "Poussin's Deluge") (verso)

c. 1816

Théodore Géricault

(French, 1791–1824)

after Nicolas Poussin

(French, 1594–1665)
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Culture
France, 19th century
Medium
pen and brown ink and brush and brown wash over graphite
Measurements
Sheet: 18 x 26.2 cm (7 1/16 x 10 5/16 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Muriel Butkin 2008.378
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Géricault's drawing of a man clutching the mane of a horse as they struggle together to stay afloat is a direct copy of a detail from one of Nicolas Poussin's (1594-1665) most celebrated paintings, The Deluge, or Winter (see photo). Small in scale but monumental in feeling, the sheet exemplifies the artist's "antique manner" of drawing, which he began to develop around 1815. This style, with its heavy contour lines and broad washes, developed in tandem with Géricault's renewed interest in copying works of art from the past, such as prints after ancient sculpture and works by Raphael (1483-1520), Michelangelo (1475-1564), and Poussin.
A horizontally oriented brown ink and wash drawing on tan paper features two distinct compositions. On our left, a bearded man in a headcloth clings to a horse's neck as they submerge in water. On our right, heavy brown washes and graphite strokes create a somber landscape under a layered sky. Small dark shapes populate the distance. Broad washes define the figures, while grainy graphite lines add texture to the right.

Man Clutching a Horse in Water, after Poussin's "Deluge" (recto); Compositional Study? (possibly for "Poussin's Deluge") (verso)

c. 1816

Théodore Géricault, Nicolas Poussin

(French, 1791–1824), (French, 1594–1665)
France, 19th century

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