| Le Derby d'Epsom | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Théodore Géricault |
| Year | 1821 |
| Type | Oil painting |
| Dimensions | 92 cm × 123 cm (36 in × 48 in) |
| Location | Louvre,Paris |
The 1821 Derby at Epsom, orHorse Race (Course de chevaux, traditionally calledLe Derby de 1821 à Epsom) is an 1821 painting by the French artistThéodore Géricault in theLouvre Museum, showingThe Derby of that year.
Fascinated by horses, Géricault made many paintings portraying them. Working for a while at the imperial stables atVersailles, he had the opportunity to study them in detail and made numerous portraits of horses.[1] Other paintings of horses by Géricault includeOfficer Hunter Horse of the Imperial Guard Charging (1812) andRace of Free Horses in Rome (1819).[2]
This work is a rare and valuable example of painting dated from his travel in England, when Géricault preferred to work inlithography. It was painted for the English horse dealer Adam Elmore. The race itself was won byGustavus, becoming the firstgrey to win the race. The painting was acquired by theMusée du Louvre in 1866.[3]
The position of the horses' legs in the painting – with both front and hind legs extended outwards while airborne – is never actually exhibited by a galloping horse. Thiswas conclusively demonstrated byEadweard Muybridge in 1878, with high-speed photography showing that galloping horses are airborne when their legs are beneath the body, just before the hind legs touch ground.
