''Before the Race'' (1882–1884) is a painting by

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

painter,

Edgar Degas Edgar Degas (, ; born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, ; 19 July 183427 September 1917) was a French Impressionist artist famous for his pastel drawings and oil paintings. Degas also produced bronze sculptures, prints and drawings. Degas is es ...

, who began painting scenes with horses in the 1860s.

History

Horse racing became a popular pastime in 19th century France under Louis-Philippe and Napoleon III. Degas began admiring horses while visiting friends in Normandy. Over the course of his career it is reported that he created 45 oils, 20 pastels, 250 drawings, and 17 sculptures related to horses. Degas was eager to know horses in anatomical detail.Werner, A., Degas: Pastels, Watson and Guptill, 1984, p. 60 As a student, Degas had filled his notebooks with drawings of horses. During a tour of breeding farms with Paul Valpincon and after exposure to horse races, Degas appreciated the movement of the horses and the colors of the jockeys uniforms. He wanted to make his paintings seem spontaneous as if he'd captured a passing moment.Meyer, S.E.,'' First Impressions: Edgar Degas'', Henry N. Abrams, 1994, p. 52 ''Before the Race'' is one of three identically titled paintings from the early 1880s. One was purchased in 1881 by

David W. T. Cargill David William Traill Cargill (1872–1939) was a Scottish philanthropist and art collector. He gives his name to the David W T Cargill Fund. He endowed the David Cargill Chair of Geriatric Medicine at Glasgow University. He was described as an ...

through Alexander Reid (who was dealer for much of Degas' work) for £2100.Alexander Reid in Context by Frances Fowle vol.1 During this time Degas was reported to have a full sized stuffed horse in his studio.Ganz, J.A., ''Great French Paintings from the Clark: Barbizon through Impressionism'', Skira Rizzolli, 2011, p. 130 This version is part of the collection of

The Walters Art Museum The Walters Art Museum, located in Mount Vernon-Belvedere, Baltimore, Maryland, United States, is a public art museum founded and opened in 1934. It holds collections established during the mid-19th century. The museum's collection was amassed ...

, the other two are part of the collections of Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute and the Mrs. John Hay Whitney Collection.Johnston, W. R., Nineteenth-Century Art: From Romanticism to Art Nouveau, The Walters Art Gallery, 2000, p. 138

Analysis

Of the three versions, the Walters' painting most closely resembles a sketch. The setting of the painting is barely suggested and the pigments are thinly applied.

Off the Wall

A reproduction of ''Before the Race'' was featured in ''Off the Wall'', an open-air exhibition on the streets of

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, Maryland in 2013/2014. It was displayed at the Horse You Came in on Saloon. The original is part of

collection, The National Gallery in London began the concept of bringing art out of doors in 2007 and the Detroit Institute of Art introduced the concept in the U.S.. The ''Off the Wall'' reproductions of the Walters' paintings are done on weather-resistant vinyl and include a description of the painting and a QR code for smart phones.Smith, T., Walters Art Museum goes of the wall, The ''Baltimore Sun'', September 11, 2012

References

{{ACArt Paintings by Edgar Degas Horses in art Paintings in the collection of the Walters Art Museum Gambling in art 1880s paintings