Race Course at Longchamps
c. 1870
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 32 x 49.2 x 2 cm (12 5/8 x 19 3/8 x 13/16 in.) framed: 42.9 x 59.7 x 3.5 cm (16 7/8 x 23 1/2 x 1 3/8 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CF
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection
Accession Number
1970.17.114
Art Historical Context
"Race Course at Longchamps," painted around 1870 by an anonymous French artist, captures the lively atmosphere of one of Paris’s most fashionable gathering spots. The oil-on-canvas work presents a sweeping view of the renowned racecourse in the Bois de Boulogne, where elegantly dressed spectators and spirited horses animate the scene. Its modest size invites close looking, allowing viewers to appreciate the fluid brushwork that conveys both movement and the soft light of an outdoor afternoon. In the mid-nineteenth century, horse racing became a symbol of modern leisure and social display in F...