Student Artwork Guide
Copyright This work is in the public domain. Lucien Simon died in 1945; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 2015.
In context
Cheval effrayé — Lucien Simon
The original measures 49 × 69 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.
Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 84 at death.
Painted when the artist was 70. The artist lived to 84. 4 of the 7 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.
Shaded: the lifetime of Lucien Simon (1861–1945) ▲ this work, 1931 every dated painting, decade by decade
Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.
More works to set beside this one: topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/lucien-simon-cheval-effraye-AQSPNV-en/
Measured from the image
Main colour
Gray #79766a
Catalogued palette
These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour
The ten leading countries
Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.
Together these works take 100.0% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 13 works by this artist, of which 2 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month
Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.
Artist and museum
Lucien Joseph Simon was far more than a chronicler of the French landscape; he was a master of the atmospheric shadows that define the Breton soul. While the broader Impressionist movement often chased the fleeting, sun-drenched brilliance of light, Simon sought a deeper, more resonant truth within the muted tones of the earth and sea. As a prominent member of the Bande Noire, alongside artists like Charles Cottet and Dauchez, he rejected the garish brightness of his contemporaries in favor of a palette that embraced melancholy and mystery. His work captures the heavy, salt-laden air of the coast and the quiet, stoic resilience of rural life, turning simple scenes into profound meditations on existence.
The technical brilliance of Simon’s oeuvre was rooted in a rigorous academic lineage. After his formative years at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand, he honed his skills under the watchful eye of Jules Didier before entering the prestigious Académie Julian between 1880 and 1883. This disciplined education provided him with the structural command necessary to execute complex compositions with both precision and emotion. He possessed a unique ability to utilize subtle tonal shifts to define the textures of fabric, the warmth of skin, and the weight of an atmosphere. In masterpieces such as Famille bigoudène en deuil, one sees this mastery at its peak, where the somber elegance of mourning attire and the shared sorrow of a family are rendered with a palpable, haunting realism.
Simon’s contribution to the art world extended well beyond his personal canvases; he was a pivotal figure in the cultivation of future generations. In 1902, he co-founded the Académie de la Grande Chaumière with Alice Dannenberg, establishing a vital sanctuary for artistic exploration and growth. His role as an educator at the École nationale des beaux-arts further solidified his importance within the French academic tradition. Even in his final years, Simon continued to explore themes of profound connection and domestic peace, as seen in the evocative Intimité of 1944. His life’s work remains a testament to the power of "Dark Impressionism," leaving behind a legacy that finds enduring beauty within the quiet, shadowed corners of the human experience.
topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/lucien-simon-cheval-effraye-AQSPNV-en/
Look closely
Cheval effrayé — Lucien Simon
Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.
Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.
"Cheval effrayé" is defined by an earthy palette led by gray (#79766a).
The diaporama of "Cheval effrayé" can be watched on the artwork's Diaporama page.
The palette of "Cheval effrayé" by Lucien Simon is described as earthy. It is a compact description of the work's colors.