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Georges Rouault

Knight on Horseback

c. 1910-1911
Watercolor, brush and ink, crayon, gold metallic paint, and pen and ink on wove paper
29 × 20.1 cm (11.4 × 7.9 in)

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● On view now — Collection Gallery, Room 17, North Wall

Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia · verified July 2026

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FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

In this watercolor by Georges Rouault, an armored knight on horseback strides forward to trample a few vanquished antagonists. The circular shape, black outlines, and profile figures complement the medieval subject by evoking a stained-glass roundel in a Gothic window. In 1925 the work was reproduced in the periodical Das Kunstblatt to accompany a poem written by Rouault in archaizing French. The poem describes a spiritual journey invoking art from ancient Egypt to the French impressionist Camille Corot as well as religious figures such as Christ and Joan of Arc.

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