Title: Riderless Horses

Artist: Théodore Géricault

The Race of the Riderless Horses 1817 Théodore Géricault French, Rouen 1791–Paris 1824 Oil and pen and ink on paper, laid on canvas In 1817 Géricault witnessed the annual carnival race of the Barberi horses down the Via del Corso in Rome. This study, one of about ninety for an intended Paris Salon submission he never completed, places the race in an idealized ancient setting. While the fluid handling of paint and the undulating forms express a surge of motion, the balanced composition transforms the scene into a timeless depiction of the conflict between nature’s unbridled passion and man’s desire for control.