Before the Race

c. 1887–89

Current Collection

Cleveland, United States

Medium: pastel with charcoal underdrawing on tracing paper mounted on cardboard
Dimensions: 57.5 × 65.4 cm
Status: In Museum Collection
Collect24 Art ID: C24-1103185

Degas returned to the theme of horse and rider time and again throughout his career. Scholars believe that he executed the first version of this composition of four jockeys on horseback in a charcoal and pastel drawing. Several years later, he traced the composition, reversing its orientation to create the highly finished Cleveland pastel. The palette is intensified, the distance between the second and third jockeys is increased, and the foliage along the horizon has been added to suggest a lush spring day.

Provenance

Hanna Jr., 1958.27

Registry history

c. 1887–89 — Recorded in the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art — drawings

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Auction history

Public sale records matched to this work. Ownership is never disclosed.

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