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Nessus and Dejanira in Four Poses, and the Dying Nessus

Hippolyte Lalaisse

1834

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism Early 19th Century Equestrianism

Dominant colour

Nessus and Dejanira in Four Poses, and the Dying Nessus is a 1834 ink by Hippolyte Lalaisse, a Romanticism work, depicting Equestrianism, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Hippolyte Lalaisse
When & what style?: 1834 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

You see a single sheet with four quick sketches of a man and a woman wrestling a centaur. The figures twist and lunge in different positions, like frames from a flip-book. This isn’t a finished drawing—it’s a study. Lalaisse was testing how the body moves in space, using fast strokes and a wet brush to blur edges. The blue paper makes the white highlights pop, like a quick flash of light. It feels more like a rehearsal than a final act. If you like the way ink can freeze motion, look up the technique called cross-hatching.