Horseman in a Storm
model c. 1878, cast after 1894
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
overall (including self-base): 47.2 x 59.3 x 23.9 cm (18 9/16 x 23 3/8 x 9 7/16 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon
Accession Number
1980.44.10
Art Historical Context
Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier, one of the most celebrated French artists of the nineteenth century, created this dynamic bronze sculpture late in his career. Best known for his meticulously detailed paintings of Napoleonic military scenes, Meissonier brought the same precision and observation to his sculptural work. *Horseman in a Storm*, modeled around 1878, captures a lone rider leaning into the wind, his cloak billowing dramatically as his horse presses forward through turbulent weather. Cast in bronze after the artist’s death, the sculpture demonstrates Meissonier’s mastery of movement and...