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Edgar Degas
(1834–1917)
Jockeys Before the Race
Paris, exhibited 1879
Oil, essence, bodycolour and pastel on paper
Degas’ racing pictures generally concentrate on the undramatic moments before the start. Here, the starting-post bisects the composition, creating an instantaneous effect, suggestive of a snapshot. Figures and horses are obscured, cut by the frame and shown with the random feel of a fleeting glimpse.
The unconventional composition is matched by an experimental technique mixing oil, bodycolour, pastel and essence (oil thinned with turpentine). The overall lack of finish, with some quite accidental areas, challenged accepted conventions when the painting was shown at the Fourth Impressionist Exhibition.
Purchased 1950 (No. 50.2)
Edgar Degas
(1834–1917)
Mademoiselle Malo
Paris, the early 1870s
Pastel on paper
Mademoiselle Malo has not been conclusively identified, but apparently she was a dancer at the Paris Opéra. Degas began to use pastel for portrait studies in the 1870s and this fine example is one of the earliest. Degas appreciated the qualities of suggestiveness and spontaneity which can be achieved in the medium. This can be seen here in the contrasting effects of the delicate modelling in the face and the rougher textures of the dress. The study was used as the basis for a larger portrait in oil.
Purchased 1949 (No. 49.12)