In 1834, the year Edgar Degas was born, professional horseracing was introduced in France at Chantilly. During the artist's youth, horseracing grew to become one of the most popular French spectator sports, and Degas himself was introduced to horses while vacationing in Normandy. Horses soon occupied a special place in his art, inspiring many of his most innovative works. This beautiful book -- the first to examine the artist's lifelong interest in the world of jockeys and horses -- includes reproductions of more than 120 paintings, drawings, pastels, prints, and sculptures of horses and all facets of horseracing.
Beginning with classically derived models in his early paintings, Degas went on to the racecourse, where he created a series of unforgettable images. He responded to the power and grace of the horse, much as he did to the elegance and agility of the ballet dancer. Degas portrayed both the animal beauty and the members of French society he saw at the racecourse. This book discusses in detail the importance of the horse in Degas's paintings and also examines his use of the subject in his drawing and in his wax sculpture.
This book is the catalogue of an exhibit that opens at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., on April 12, 1998.
