The artwork titled “A horse” was created by Giorgio de Chirico around 1949 in Rome, Italy. Executed in pencil on paper, the sketch belongs to the Neo-baroque movement and falls under the genre of sketch and study. This particular piece of art serves as a window into the artist’s process and style during this period.
The artwork presents a collection of studies that focus primarily on the form and motion of a horse. There are three prominent sketches of horses, each representing a different stance and level of dynamism. The horse in the top left appears to be at rest, standing in profile with its weight solidly set on its hooves and its mane and tail gently detailed. The contrasting sketch to the right showcases a horse mid-rear, captured in a lively pose with its forelegs lifted off the ground as if it were reaching upwards, with movement depicted in the fluid lines of its mane and tail.
Below these central figures, there is another horse study highlighting the animal in stride. Its body is portrayed with a refined economy of line, with an emphasis on its grace and purposeful movement. Accompanying the equine studies, the artist has also included a few other elements – a rough sketch of a classical horse head sculpture, as well as a couple of architectural or ornamental forms – possibly a column and scrollwork – that suggest a keen interest in details and forms beyond the living subject, perhaps hinting at the Neo-baroque style’s fascination with the grandeur and ornamentation of the past.
Altogether, the careful yet swift pencil strokes and the light shading techniques manifest the artist’s skill and the elegance of the subject matter, while also communicating a sense of study and exploration, typical of an artist’s preparatory works.
