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Racehorses (study for "Scene from the Steeplechase: The Fallen Jockey")

Edgar Degas

1881

charcoal

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Racehorses (study for "Scene from the Steeplechase: The Fallen Jockey") is a 1881 charcoal by Edgar Degas, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Edgar Degas
When & what style?: 1881 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows two galloping horses with a rider barely clinging on. The lines are loose and quick, like they were drawn fast. The paper is light brown, and the charcoal leaves smudges where the artist pressed hard. The horses’ muscles and the rider’s tense grip suggest speed and danger. The drawing looks like a quick study, not a finished picture. Next, look up cross-hatching to see how artists build shading with layers of lines.

About the artist

Artist

Edgar Degas

Born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas on 19 July 1834 in Paris, Edgar Degas came from an affluent banking family with aristocratic roots and spent his childhood among the cultivated circles of the French capital.

See the richer artist page