EDGAR DEGAS

(1834-1917)

Cheval de trait

Footnotes

Provenance
Schmidt-Natre & Co. (May 31, 1924).
Sale: Sotheby & Co., London, June 22, 1966, lot 64a.
Frank Partridge Collection, London.
Sale: Sotheby & Co., London, July 2, 1970, lot 33.
Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles (acquired at the above sale).
Amalia de Schulthess Collection, Santa Monica (possibly acquired from the above).
Thence by descent to the present owners.

Literature
Exh. cat., Exposition des sculptures de Degas, Paris, 1921, no. 45 (another cast illustrated).
F. Fosca, Degas, Paris, 1921, no. 192L (another cast illustrated p. 374).
J. Rewald (ed.), Degas: Works in Sculpture, A Complete Catalogue, New York, 1944, pl. VII (another cast illustrated p. 42).
Pierre Cailler (ed.), Les sculptures inédites de Degas, Geneva, 1949 (the wax original illustrated).
J. Rewald, L'oeuvre sculpté de Degas, Zurich, 1957 (another cast illustrated pl. 23).
C. W. Millard, The Sculpture of Edgar Degas, Princeton, 1976 (another cast illustrated p. 24).
M. Guillaud et al., Degas, Form and Space, Paris, 1984 (another cast illustrated p. 214).
E. Camesasca & G. Cortenova, Degas scultore, exh. cat., Milan, 1986 (another cast illustrated p. 129 & p. 188).
J. McCarty, 'A Sculptor's Thoughts on the Degas Waxes' in Essays in Honor of Paul Mellon Collector and Benefactor, Washington, 1986 (the wax original illustrated p. 221).
F. Minervino, Tout l'oeuvre peint de Degas, Barcelona, 1988, no S45 (another cast illustrated p. 143).
A. Pingeot, Degas Sculptures, Paris, 1991, no. 45 (the wax original illustrated p. 175).
E. Braun, Manet to Matisse, The Hillman Family Collection, New York, 1994 (cast T illustrated p. 61).
S. Campbell, 'Degas, The Sculptures: A Catalogue Raisonné' in Apollo, The International Magazine of the Arts, August 1995, no. 30 (another cast illustrated p. 25).
A. Pingeot & J. S. Czestochowski, Degas Sculptures, Catalogue Raisonné of the Bronzes, Memphis, 2002, no. 30 (another cast and the wax original illustrated pp. 180-181).
S. Campbell et al., Degas in the Norton Simon Museum, vol. II, New Haven & London, 2009 (another cast illustrated p. 225 & details of another cast illustrated pp. 226-227).


"Happy sculptor... but I have not yet made enough horses!"
- Edgar Degas in a letter to Albert Bartholomé in 1888

With its deep, dark brown patina, lustrous shine, and poised stance, Cheval de trait perfectly showcases Edgar Degas' understanding of equine musculature and ability to recreate the lightness of movement in every medium. The work, a posthumously cast study of the animal, shines as a fine stand-alone example within Degas' oeuvre.

Equestrian sports fascinated Degas and became a prominent recurring theme throughout his artistic output. The frenetic scenes allowed him to move from a precise arrangement of figures in space to a more atmospheric layout of his works in the latter part of his career. Like his depictions of dancers and the French theater, the intense activity and fast-paced nature of these sporting events challenged the artist to veritably portray the physical stamina with elegance and grace. The present work points to a respect for the animal in all its forms and breeds, moving beyond the thoroughbred physique to investigate the draft horse in all of its own splendor.

In later years the artist was heavily influenced by the photographic studies of Eadweard Muybridge – particularly his collection of work titled Animal Locomotion. In partnership with the University of Pennsylvania, Muybridge developed 781 plates depicting the active movements of a wide array of animals and humans to effectively study anatomy and movement. Of these, 95 plates were devoted to the study of horses – particularly racing animals, but with several examples showcasing the strength and mobility of the draft horse. The study was widely acknowledged and greatly advanced nineteenth-century understanding of bodies in action.

Degas' work from the 1880s onward takes direct inspiration from the series and served a similar purpose: to fully grasp the full range of motion of animals in their natural habitat. Originally made of wax, these sculptures served as models for the figures in his paintings; his first examples from the mid-1860s were horses, used to augment his depictions of the racetrack early in his career. Muybridge's work sparked a renewal in Degas' interest in the subject, revealing unprecedented insight into subtle movements and positions previously unseen by the naked eye. Degas later acknowledged that he did not fully comprehend equine movement until Muybridge:

"Even though I had the opportunity to mount a horse quite often, even though I could distinguish a thoroughbred from a half-bred without too much difficulty, even though I had a fairly good understanding of the animal's anatomy and myology, having studied one of those plaster models found in all the caster's shops, I was completely ignorant of the mechanism of its movements" (Edgar Degas quoted in F. Thiébault-Sisson, 'Degas sculpteur raconté par lui-même' in Le Temps, Paris, 1921, p. 3).

In fact, the artist did not originally intend for his studies to be cast; rather, he preferred reworking the malleable medium over time to reflect his evolving understanding of equine anatomy and movement. The artist once stated: "To be survived by sculpture in bronze – what a responsibility! Bronze is so very indestructible!" (John McCarty quoted in J. Wilmerding, Essays in Honor of Paul Mellon, Collector and Benefactor, exh. cat., Washington, 1986, p. 218). His studies were built from the center out; Degas would determine where to place the animals' limbs in relation to the modeled torso. This technique allowed for freedom and flexibility in execution, and for continuous change of form to achieve proper position and balance.

Only three of his wax figures were produced in plaster during his lifetime; after his death, over 150 of these studies were found in his studio. 72 were preserved, 17 of which depicted horses; the firm A.-A. Hébrard repaired them and subsequently produced several editions of each. Cast by the foundry between 1919 and 1924, the present cast is marked with the foundry's inventory number 30 and with the series letter I.

Of these cast studies, the present lot is the only example representing a draft horse; the rest depict graceful thoroughbreds jumping, galloping, and rearing. The depiction is specific and recognizable; Degas masterfully distinguishes between breeds, properly showcasing the working animal's sturdy body and immense innate strength. The horse lunges forward, nearly imbalanced as it pulls the weight of his invisible load on strong, capable legs. The horse's muscles tense and ripple, catching the light. No armature is visible on this edition, while others in the series display external iron supports.

The intricacy of Degas' sculpted studies reflects a formality in his working methods, denoting a brilliant mastery in his artistic expression. Cheval de trait offers a spectacular glimpse into this technique, lending a newfound understanding of his fascination with the equine form and respect for its graceful anatomy beyond the walls of the hippodrome.