1858
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Battle Scene with Armored Figures on Horseback (recto) Two Seated Women (verso) is a 1858 by Edgar Degas, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This sketch shows rough, quick lines of two armored soldiers on horseback in a battle. One horse rears up, while the other stands still. The figures are simple shapes—just enough to show movement and poses. On the back of the same paper, there’s a loose drawing of two seated women, almost like a quick note. The lines are light and wobbly, like the artist was testing ideas fast. This sketch style is a great way to see how Degas worked—try looking up chiaroscuro next to learn about light and shadow in drawings.
Born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas on 19 July 1834 in Paris, Edgar Degas came from an affluent banking family with aristocratic roots and spent his childhood among the cultivated circles of the French capital.
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