The Races (Les courses)
1865
Medium
lithograph
Dimensions
overall: 37.2 x 52.1 cm (14 5/8 x 20 1/2 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.9084
Art Historical Context
**The Races (Les courses)**, a vibrant 1865 lithograph by Édouard Manet, captures thrill of horse racing, a fashionable pastime in Second Empire Paris. Measuring 37.2 x 52.1 cm, this print from the National Gallery of Art Rosenwald Collection exemplifies Man fascination with modern leisure scenes, much like his paintings of urban life at tracks like Longchamp. Created amid the bustling social whirl of mid-19th-century France, it reflects the era's obsession with spectacle and speed, blending crowd energy with elegant equestrian motion. As a pioneering figure bridging Realism and Impressionism...
About the Artist
Edouard Manet · 1832–1883
Édouard Manet (1832-1883) was a French painter who played a pivotal role in the transition from Realism to Impressionism, often called the 'Father of Modern Art.' Born into a wealthy Parisian family, Manet defied his father's wishes for a legal career to pursue painting, studying under academic artist Thomas Couture. His revolutionary works 'Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe' and 'Olympia' (both 1863) scand...