The Races. Before the Start
Artwork by Edgar Degas • 1873
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About this artwork - painting analysis
A captivating snapshot of the Parisian horse racing world, "The Races. Before the Start" by Edgar Degas offers an intimate and modern vision of the world of horse racing in 1873. On this small format of 26 x 35 centimetres, the artist immortalizes a moment of suspended tension, that palpable anticipation which precedes the launching of the riders. In the foreground, jockeys in bright yellow and dark silks gather on their mounts, forming a composition that appears spontaneous yet carefully orchestrated. The low horizon allows a vast sky with bluish and grey nuances to dominate, while in the background the hazy silhouette of an industrial city is outlined, punctuated by smoking chimneys – probably the Parisian suburbs.
Degas displays here an exceptional mastery of naturalistic observation, characteristic of the impressionist aesthetic of which he remains a singular representative. The fluid brushwork and attention paid to atmospheric effects reflect the influence of his contemporaries, while his taste for bold and asymmetrical framing reveals his fascination with nascent photography and Japanese prints. The equestrian silhouettes, captured in varied and natural poses, testify to his in-depth study of animal and human movement. The sober palette, dominated by earth tones, olive greens and atmospheric blues, contrasts with the luminous brilliance of the silks that structure the composition visually.
This canvas is part of an ambitious series devoted to horse racing, a favourite subject that Degas would explore for more than three decades. Regularly frequenting the Longchamp racecourse, the artist does not seek the spectacle of the competition itself, but privileges these intermediate moments, these instants of waiting and preparation that reveal the psychology of the protagonists. Held at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, this work testifies to the radical modernity of Degas's gaze on contemporary Parisian life, making bourgeois everyday life a legitimate artistic subject and paving the way for representations of modern leisure in Western art.
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Image license: faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional public domain work of art.
