Two Equestrian Figures, Possibly a Study for “George IV, Prince of Wales”

Description

Two Equestrian Figures shows mounted officers facing right in John Singleton Copley’s drawing, their dark uniforms contrasting with the lighter outlines of their horses. The bare paper leaves the riders and animals isolated, allowing their positions to be compared without a landscape competing for attention. The horses extend beyond the lower framing, concentrating the study on the figures above and their connected silhouettes.

Made around 1803–13 in black and white chalk on blue paper, the sheet may relate to Copley’s portrait of George IV as Prince of Wales. That possible connection leaves the drawing valuable as a study in its own right, where the figures can be considered without requiring a completed painting beside them. Contrasting marks give the subject definition, allowing the viewer to encounter the working process through the artist’s attention to pose, placement and the balance of rider and horse.

Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the John Singleton Copley collection.