# Alexander and Bucephalus, in 19th-century France

Edgar Degas painted this in 1861/1862, aged about 27. It is now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

Our note:

> The young Alexander raises a hand to the head of the chestnut horse Bucephalus, which no one else at the Macedonian court could master; according to Plutarch, he succeeded by turning the animal towards the sun so that it could not see its own shadow.

[Read the full label](https://www.ochreeditions.com/art/alexander-and-bucephalus-nga-101776#about-work)

## The work

- Date: 1861/1862
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: overall: 115 x 89 cm (45 1/4 x 35 1/16 in.) framed: 139.7 × 107.95 × 12.7 cm (55 × 42 1/2 × 5 in.)
- Type: Painting
- Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1997.57.1
- Licence: CC0 1.0

## The artist

[Edgar Degas](https://www.ochreeditions.com/artists/edgar-degas), French, 1834–1917

Degas trained in the academic tradition, admired Ingres and spent three years in Italy copying earlier art, but turned to modern Paris for his subjects: dancers, racecourses, laundresses, milliners and café singers.

15 works in the collection.

## Walk on

- [More by Edgar Degas](https://www.ochreeditions.com/galleries/artist/edgar-degas?hang=750) (15 works)
- [More Impressionism](https://www.ochreeditions.com/galleries/style/impressionism?hang=750) (53 works)
- [The 19th century](https://www.ochreeditions.com/galleries/era/19?hang=750) (731 works)

## Get it

- [Print this work](https://www.ochreeditions.com/art/alexander-and-bucephalus-nga-101776#print)
- Free download, full resolution: https://img.ochreeditions.com/m/1638.jpg?dl=1
- [The work's page](https://www.ochreeditions.com/art/alexander-and-bucephalus-nga-101776)