Edgar Degas (French, 1834–1917). *Horse with Head Lowered*, ca. 1885 (cast executed 1919–21). Bronze, edition 22/K; 7 5/8 x 10 3/4 x 3 1/8 inches (19.4 x 27.3 x 7.9 cm). Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York; Bequest of A. Conger Goodyear, 1966 (1966:9.23).

Public Domain

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Public Domain

Image downloads are for educational use only. For all other purposes, please see our Obtaining and Using Images page.

Edgar Degas

French, 1834-1917

Horse with Head Lowered, ca. 1885 (cast executed 1919-1921)

bronze

Edition: 22/K

overall: 7 5/8 x 10 3/4 x 3 1/8 inches (19.37 x 27.3 x 7.94 cm)

Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York

Bequest of A. Conger Goodyear, 1966

1966:9.23

More Details

Inscriptions

foundry mark; stamp / base, rear / cire/perdue/ A A HEBRARD

signature, undated / base, rear center / Degas

edition notation; foundry mark / base, rear / 22/K

Provenance

A. A. Hébrard, Paris;
purchased from him by A. Conger Goodyear, New York, 1923;
bequeathed to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, 1966

Class

Sculpture (visual work)

Work Type

Cast (sculpture)

This information may change due to ongoing research. Glossary of Terms

Throughout his career, Edgar Degas took an interest in equestrian scenes and executed numerous works on the theme. Most of the horses he chose to depict were Thoroughbreds: horses bred specifically for speed and as potential competitive racers. As Degas spent time with such animals, he further developed an innate ability to capture their elegant, spirited movements. After the artist’s death, nearly one hundred and fifty clay and wax maquettes of horses and other subjects were discovered in his studio and apartment. Although it may never have been the artist’s intention to distinguish these works with the permanence of bronze, Degas’s heirs approved the casting of seventy-two figures from this group, including Horse with Head Lowered. Acting more like three-dimensional sketches, such objects allowed the artist to further explore the dynamics of movement and muscular tension within the body.

Label from Menagerie: Animals on View, March 11–June 4, 2017

Other Works by This Artist

Edgar Degas

Étude de nu pour la danseuse habillée (Study in the Nude for the Dressed Ballet Dancer) , 1879-1880 (cast executed 1919-1921 from original wax)
Edgar Degas

Portrait de Mlle Rose Caron (Portrait of Rose Caron) , ca. 1892
Edgar Degas

Nathalie Wolkonska , not dated
Edgar Degas

Mary Cassatt at the Louvre , 1876-1877
Edgar Degas

Mlle Fiocre dans le ballet "La Source" (Mademoiselle Fiocre in the ballet "La Source") , 1866-1868
Edgar Degas

Étude de cavalier (Study of a Horseman) , ca. 1882
Edgar Degas

Degas à la redingote noire (Self-Portrait) , ca. 1854-1855