Degas at the Races: Paintings and Drawings

Jockey, c. 1900, washed pastel, brown wash, and transferred pastel on paper, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mrs. Jane C. Carey as an addition to the Addie Burr Clark Memorial Collection previous next back to paintings and drawings

This is a simple image--a solitary jockey on horseback, with very little color, only brown and blue. But the figure is imbued with tremendous energy, and the presence of the artist's hand is palpable.

This work is especially interesting because it represents a horse in motion. Multiple lines echo the legs, creating an impression like that of motion photographs. Degas was interested in and influenced by the innovative stop-action photography of animals taken by Eadweard Muybridge in the 1880s. Horse and rider are overlaid by smudged halos that seem to vibrate, imparting a sense of movement. Still, line is essential--Ingres hasn't been forgotten.

This work is a "counterproof," a transfer of a drawing in pastel or charcoal from one sheet to a facing sheet. Degas liked to experiment with various media and graphic techniques. In addition to paintings and pastels, he explored sculpture and photography. He produced etchings, monotypes, and counterproofs. In looking at Degas' art it is always interesting to see the way different media interact. He would create a counterproof or a monotype print, for example, and then heighten it with pastel. In the unconstrained way he used a variety of media, Degas revealed his view that everything he made was unique, an object in and of itself. But in his use and reuse he also clearly saw each object as potential material for future use. In his art, everything builds and draws upon something else. This is one of the things that makes Degas' work so resonant: everything fits together beautifully, in its own way.