A Jockey on His Horse
ca. 1868–70
Medium
Oil and graphite on faded pink paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 12 7/8 x 7 3/16 in. (32.7 x 18.3cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Walter C. Baker, 1971
Accession Number
1972.118.206
Tags
Art Historical Context
Edgar Degas's *A Jockey on His Horse* (ca. 1868–70) captures the dynamic energy of the racetrack, a recurring theme in the artist's early career. Degas, a key figure in Impressionism—though he rejected the label—frequently sketched jockeys and horses at French racecourses like Longchamp, drawn to their poised tension and fleeting motion. This intimate study reflects his obsession with modern life and the human-animal bond, rendered during a period when he was honing his skills in capturing movement off-canvas. Executed in oil and graphite on faded pink paper (12 7/8 x 7 3/16 in.), the work ex...
About the Artist
Edgar Degas · 1834–1917
Edgar Degas (1834-1917) stands as one of the most innovative artists of the nineteenth century, whose distinctive vision transformed how modern life could be depicted on canvas. Born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas in Paris to a wealthy banking family—his father French, his mother a Louisiana Creole from New Orleans—Degas received a classical education before abandoning law studies in 1855 to pursue ...