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Saddled Arabian Horse in Courtyard
by Carle Vernet
About the Artwork
While his father, Joseph, was known for marine paintings, and his son, Horace, became a celebrated Romantic artist, Carle Vernet excelled in representing battles and animals, especially horses. Vernet was an expert rider himself, and in his pictures he precisely described various breeds and horse dressings. Although the artist never traveled further from France than Italy, his drawing of an Arabian horse contains elements that make it seem as if he observed the animal in its native environment. He documented the unique saddle and included exotic architecture in the background and palm trees at the right. Vernet was able to study exotic breeds and costumes in Paris, both in the military corps and at the horse races.
Inscriptions
signed, lower left, in brown ink: Carle Vernet. 1820.; verso of secondary support, upper right, in graphite: super duper; lower center, in graphite: russian stamp [sideways] / [arrow]; lower right, in graphite: #6 [circled].
Provenance
Possibly in a Russian collection (three Russian postage stamps, likely early 20th century [a fourth is missing], are affixed at the center of each edge of the back of the mount).a [Edward Pawlin, New York (according to Shepherd Gallery)]; [purchased in 1973 by Shepherd Gallery, New York]. [Paul Drey Gallery, New York (according to Butkin records and old cma exhibition label)]; purchased in 1974. a. Thanks to Alexander Gulkin for confirming the stamps' origins and dating them.
Exhibition history
French Master Drawings from the Collection of Muriel Butkin. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 26-October 28, 2001); Dahesh Museum of Art (February 19-May 18, 2002).
Quick Overview
- Artist
- Carle Vernet (French, 1758–1836)
- Date
- 1820
- Medium
- pen and brown ink, brown wash, with gray wash, over black chalk or crayon, heightened with white gouache and white chalk
- Dimensions
- Sheet: 15.8 x 24.2 cm (6 1/4 x 9 1/2 in.); With mount: 22.3 x 30.7 cm (8 3/4 x 12 1/16 in.)
- Type
- Drawing
- Classification
- Drawing
- Department
- Drawings
- Credit line
- Bequest of Muriel Butkin
- Accession no.
- 2008.398
More by Carle Vernet in museum collections
Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.
Open-access museum record · AT-00011448
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