Conceived circa 1865-68, Cheval à l'abreuvoir is one of Degas’ earliest sculptures. It is believed that Degas’ beginnings in sculpture were modelings rendered in order to acquire information about his paintings. His studies of horses were akin to those of ballerinas, in his careful attention to movement and gesture. Indeed, the poet Paul Valery deemed his horses “four-legged ballerinas dancing en pointe outdoors,” and John Rewald refers to this particular sculpture as the “ballet horse.” (quoted in John Rewald, Degas's Complete Sculpture: Catalogue Raisonné, San Francisco 1989, p.15). The work is thought to be a model for Portrait of Mlle Fiocre in the Ballet "La Source,” now in the Brooklyn Museum’s collects ion. (see fig. 1) The horse’s head is bowed, graceful and reticent, and the careful modeling of the form reveals Degas’ dedicated study of equine anatomy. Though not depicted in motion, as some of his later bronzes (see fig. 2) this sculpture nonetheless is striking, possessing a quiet sense of pride.

This bronze boasts a distinguished provenance, having previously belonged to John C. Whitehead, who amassed an exceptional collects ion of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art while serving as deputy secretary of state.