Degas has delicately portrayed the flaring nostrils, pointed ears and parted lips of this galloping horse. Supported only by its hind legs, it appears ready to leap from its base. The rippling light effect created by the rough modelling of its body adds to the sense of vitality. Degas was fascinated in racehorses and sculpted models to better understand their form and movement before painting them.

Accepted in lieu of Inheritance Tax by HM Government from the estate of Lucian Freud and allocated to Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales, 2013