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Learn MoreCheval en course by Claude Monet
- This remarkable drawing is the earliest known work by the great Claude Monet
- The racehorse is captured in exceptional detail, with legs fully extended in the "flying gallop"
- Monet brings a striking vitality to the composition, revealing expert draftsmanship
- Very few of Monet's drawings survive today, with most in museum collections
- Get complete item description here
$298,500
Item No.
32-1919
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Description
Claude Monet
1840–1926 | French
Cheval en course
(Racehorse)
Signed “O. Monet” (lower right)
Pencil and watercolor on paper
Claude Monet is widely considered one of the most important artists of all time—revered for his groundbreaking contributions to art history. This exceptional drawing, Cheval en course, is the earliest recorded work by the Impressionist master. Highly rare and full of detail and movement, this artwork captures the origins of Monet’s visionary genius. . . .
1840–1926 | French
Cheval en course
(Racehorse)
Signed “O. Monet” (lower right)
Pencil and watercolor on paper
Claude Monet is widely considered one of the most important artists of all time—revered for his groundbreaking contributions to art history. This exceptional drawing, Cheval en course, is the earliest recorded work by the Impressionist master. Highly rare and full of detail and movement, this artwork captures the origins of Monet’s visionary genius. . . .
Read More
Claude Monet
1840–1926 | French
Cheval en course
(Racehorse)
Signed “O. Monet” (lower right)
Pencil and watercolor on paper
Claude Monet is widely considered one of the most important artists of all time—revered for his groundbreaking contributions to art history. This exceptional drawing, Cheval en course, is the earliest recorded work by the Impressionist master. Highly rare and full of detail and movement, this artwork captures the origins of Monet’s visionary genius.
Cheval en course reveals the same sharp eye and expert draftsmanship that would later define Monet’s monumental career. His linework is confident and highly detailed, bringing the racehorse to life in a “flying gallop”—a traditional 19th-century convention for depicting speed, which inaccurately shows the horse with all four legs outstretched and airborne at once. Monet brings a striking vitality to the composition, balancing the tension of the rider with a wonderful sensation of forward momentum.
As his earliest artwork, this drawing held particular significance to Monet. He kept it for decades and finally gifted it directly to his beloved stepdaughter, Suzanne Hoschedé-Butler, who held a meaningful place in Monet’s personal and artistic world. She frequently appeared in some of his most celebrated Giverny figure paintings.
It is quite rare to find such early Monet drawings today, with very few surviving and the overwhelming majority now in major museums, including the Musée d’Orsay, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Art Institute of Chicago. Cheval en course also has the distinction of bearing the desirable signature “O. Monet,” a rare occurrence as the artist then went by his formal name, Oscar-Claude Monet.
Circa 1855
Paper: 8 1/2" high x 11" wide (21.6 x 27.9 cm)
Frame: 17 1/2" high x 20" wide x 1 1/2" deep (44.5 x 50.8 x 3.8 cm)
Provenance:
The artist
Collection of Suzanne Hoschedé-Butler, gifted by the above
Private collection
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
Literature:
Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Catalogue raisonné, volume V, 1991, no. D405, p. 121 (illustrated)
1840–1926 | French
Cheval en course
(Racehorse)
Signed “O. Monet” (lower right)
Pencil and watercolor on paper
Claude Monet is widely considered one of the most important artists of all time—revered for his groundbreaking contributions to art history. This exceptional drawing, Cheval en course, is the earliest recorded work by the Impressionist master. Highly rare and full of detail and movement, this artwork captures the origins of Monet’s visionary genius.
Cheval en course reveals the same sharp eye and expert draftsmanship that would later define Monet’s monumental career. His linework is confident and highly detailed, bringing the racehorse to life in a “flying gallop”—a traditional 19th-century convention for depicting speed, which inaccurately shows the horse with all four legs outstretched and airborne at once. Monet brings a striking vitality to the composition, balancing the tension of the rider with a wonderful sensation of forward momentum.
As his earliest artwork, this drawing held particular significance to Monet. He kept it for decades and finally gifted it directly to his beloved stepdaughter, Suzanne Hoschedé-Butler, who held a meaningful place in Monet’s personal and artistic world. She frequently appeared in some of his most celebrated Giverny figure paintings.
It is quite rare to find such early Monet drawings today, with very few surviving and the overwhelming majority now in major museums, including the Musée d’Orsay, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Art Institute of Chicago. Cheval en course also has the distinction of bearing the desirable signature “O. Monet,” a rare occurrence as the artist then went by his formal name, Oscar-Claude Monet.
Circa 1855
Paper: 8 1/2" high x 11" wide (21.6 x 27.9 cm)
Frame: 17 1/2" high x 20" wide x 1 1/2" deep (44.5 x 50.8 x 3.8 cm)
Provenance:
The artist
Collection of Suzanne Hoschedé-Butler, gifted by the above
Private collection
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
Literature:
Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Catalogue raisonné, volume V, 1991, no. D405, p. 121 (illustrated)
Read Less
Specifications
| Maker: | Monet, Claude |
| Period: | 1816-1918 |
| Origin: | France |
| Type: | Drawings |
| Style: | Impressionism |
| Depth: | 1.5 in. (3.81 cm) |
| Width: | 20.0 in. (50.8 cm) |
| Height: | 17.5 in. (44.45 cm) |
| Canvas Width: | 11.000 in. (27.94 cm) |
| Canvas Height: | 8.500 in. (21.59 cm) |
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Buy with Confidence
At M.S. Rau, we are committed to building a long-term, rewarding relationship with each and every client. That’s why your purchase is backed by our 125% guarantee.
Learn More
