Cheval blanc ou Écuyère
Georges Rouault
1930
Original lithograph in black on Arches paper for Saltimbanques
50.2 x 32.7 cm
Signed by the artist in pencil lower right, dry stamp of the Galerie des Peintres Graveurs lower right
Edmond Frapier publisher, Paris
Catalog raisonné : Rouault 333
"Cheval blanc ou Écuyère" is the last plate in the lithographed suite entitled Saltimbanques. The circus is a recurring theme for modern artists. The spectacle is seen as a metaphor for the intensity and immediacy that characterize modern life. For Rouault, the lithographic technique is an opportunity to use the randomness of drips and stains. The depth of the black and its contrast with the whiteness of the horse reflects the intensity of the performance, with spectators holding their breath.
