At the Races by Degas

This dynamic pastel on cardboard by the great French master Degas Edgar beautifully illustrates the intense excitement of the racecourse under the title “At the Races”. Affiliated with the impressionist movement, this very major work demonstrates the artist’s consuming passion for the vast equestrian world and natural movement. Degas Edgar moves away here from all academic representations to capture the tension preceding the start.

Five jockeys mounted on powerful racehorses are gathered in the foreground on a very bright and wide green meadow. The riders wear shiny silk jackets in bright, contrasting colors, combining intense blue, orange, bright yellow, and red under a low, stormy blue-gray sky. The bay and chestnut horses, depicted in various postures of trampling and nervous waiting, show great excitement before the starting signal. In the background, a green hill topped by a grove of dark trees closes the horizon under a diffuse and rapidly changing light. The tight composition emphasizes our close proximity to these magnificent animals and their focused riders.

The artist demonstrates exceptional and vigorous expertise by using rich pastel hatching to sculpt the shapes of the horses. His keen sense of observation allows him to realistically restore the animal anatomy and the muscular tension of the mounts ready to leap forward.