Artwork
The Races
The Races is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Edgar Degas. It dates from 1872 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right: Degas
About this work
Technique & Style
As a work depicting equestrian subjects, it reflects Degas's ongoing exploration of movement and racecourse scenes during this period.
Edgar Degas executed The Races in 1871 using oil paint. While one record identifies the support as wood, another source describes the work as being on canvas, indicating a potential discrepancy in the documentation regarding the specific material base. The painting measures 26.6 cm in height and 35.1 cm in width.
As a work depicting equestrian subjects, it reflects Degas's ongoing exploration of movement and racecourse scenes during this period.
History & Provenance
The work was painted by Edgar Degas in 1871 and originally purchased from the artist in April 1872 by the Paris dealer Durand-Ruel. It was sold on 7 May 1873 to the collector Jean-Baptiste Faure, then resold on 28 February 1881 to Durand-Ruel before being acquired from Jules Féder in New York. The painting entered the collection of Peter A. B. Widener in 1894 and subsequently passed by inheritance to his son Joseph E. Widener, who gifted it to the National Gallery of Art in 1942.
The provenance chain is documented through these dealer transactions and the final donation, confirming its movement from the artist to European collectors and ultimately to the museum.
The painting is held by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it entered the collection in 1942 as a gift from Joseph E. Widener through the power of appointment of Peter A. B. Widener’s estate. Its accession record is NGA 1942.1.1.
It has been exhibited in major Degas surveys, including _Degas_, shown at the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, Paris; National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1988–1989).
Legacy
The Races exerted influence through its acquisition by major collectors and institutions, shaping Degas' posthumous reputation. Its documented ownership by Jean-Baptiste Faure and subsequent sale to Peter A. B. Widener established its provenance within prominent private collections. The work's entry into the National Gallery of Art's holdings in 1942 cemented its institutional legacy as a key example of Degas' early racing subjects, reflecting evolving appreciation for his Impressionist techniques in capturing transient motion and atmospheric effects.
Overview
Created in 1872, The Races is an oil painting on wood by the French artist Edgar Degas. Though often linked to Impressionism, Degas identified himself more closely with realist concerns. The work depicts a moment at the start of a horse race, set against a cloudy sky and a distant urban backdrop, and exemplifies his ongoing interest in contemporary movement and public spectacle.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a group of jockeys poised on their mounts in a grassy field, each dressed in vivid racing colours. A dark horse and its rider appear slightly ahead, suggesting the instant before competition erupts. By capturing this fleeting instant, Degas highlights the dynamism of modern leisure activities and the interplay between sport, fashion, and urban life.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
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.
