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Studies for "Apollo in His Chariot with the Hours"

John Singer Sargent

1924

charcoal

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Early Modern Mythology

Dominant colour

Studies for "Apollo in His Chariot with the Hours" is a 1924 charcoal by John Singer Sargent, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: John Singer Sargent
When & what style?: 1924
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

You see two close-up charcoal sketches of horse heads on tan paper. The left sketch shows a horse in profile. The right one shows a horse looking down at an angle. Sargent used soft charcoal to blend shadows smoothly. He focused on the muscle and bone under the skin. These studies prove how he practiced before painting large murals. Look up the sketch technique called scumbling next.