Artwork
The Riders
The Riders is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Edgar Degas. It dates from 1885 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right: Degas
About this work
Technique & Style
Classified as a genre scene, the painting depicts figures on horseback, consistent with Degas's recurring interest in equestrian subjects during this period.
Edgar Degas executed The Riders in 1885 using oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 73.03 cm in height and 90.81 cm in width. Classified as a genre scene, the painting depicts figures on horseback, consistent with Degas's recurring interest in equestrian subjects during this period.
The medium and dimensions are documented in the National Gallery of Art's records, which acquired the work as a bequest in 1999.
History & Provenance
Executed in 1885, The Riders remained in Edgar Degas's possession before entering the collection of Parisian dealer Ambroise Vollard. Jules Strauss acquired the work directly from Vollard in 1911, a transaction documented in Strauss's personal papers. Following Strauss's death, the painting appeared in a sale at Galerie Georges Petit in December 1932, where it was purchased by dealer André Schoeller. By 1946, the canvas was held in the Collection Schwenck in Paris.
The work later entered a private Swiss collection before being sold in March 1967 through Simon Scheib of New York to Paul Mellon. Upon Mellon's death in 1999, he bequeathed the painting to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., though his wife, Rachel Lambert Mellon, retained a life interest.
The Riders is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it was accessioned following a 1999 bequest from Paul Mellon. Mellon acquired the painting in March 1967 from the Swiss private collection via dealer Simon Scheib. Prior to this, the work passed through the hands of André Schoeller, Jules Strauss, and Ambroise Vollard, with Strauss purchasing it directly from Vollard in 1911.
The National Gallery of Art lists the work as part of its permanent collection, reflecting its provenance from the artist's estate through various Parisian dealers and collectors before reaching the Mellon family.
The painting's exhibition history includes its reproduction in the 1914 _l'Album Degas_ published by Galerie A. Vollard. It was also cataloged as number 36 in the sale of Jules Strauss's collection at Galerie Georges Petit in Paris on December 15, 1932, though it is possible the work was bought in during that auction.
Overview
Edgar Degas’s oil on canvas titled The Riders presents a group of six jockeys astride their horses on a verdant field. The composition captures a moment of poised anticipation, suggesting the imminent start of a race. The figures are arranged to convey both the individual focus of each rider and the collective energy of the gathering.
Subject & Meaning
The work foregrounds the relationship between horse and rider, emphasizing the tension and readiness that precede a competition. By placing the jockeys in dynamic stances, Degas highlights the physical coordination required for racing, while the surrounding open space and implied onlookers suggest a broader social context of spectatorship and sport.
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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.
