The Riders c. 1885

Editor: This is "The Riders" by Edgar Degas, made around 1885. It seems to be oil paint on canvas, depicting a group of jockeys on horseback. The loose brushstrokes create an interesting, almost blurry effect, which makes me wonder about his approach to materials and process. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I’m immediately drawn to the materiality of the work. The visibly layered paint, applied with a certain haste, emphasizes the labor involved. Think about the socio-economic context: Horse racing in 19th-century France was intrinsically linked to wealth and spectacle. Editor: So, the application of paint echoes that frenzy and excitement? Curator: Precisely. It reflects the social function of the racetrack. Notice also the blurred quality, suggesting movement, transience. What’s lost in detail is gained in capturing the atmosphere of the racetrack. Editor: That makes sense. I guess the speed of production then also mirrors the fast-paced action it portrays. Did Degas' choices challenge any artistic conventions? Curator: Absolutely. Academic painting valued meticulous detail and smooth surfaces. Degas, in embracing visible brushwork and an almost sketch-like quality, blurred the line between preparatory sketch and finished work, questioning traditional artistic hierarchies. Moreover, the inclusion of a 'genre scene' connected art to commerce. Editor: I never really considered how the painting technique itself could be making a social commentary. So much is conveyed in the materiality. Curator: Indeed. It's in the artistic choices, the application of paint, that the meaning truly resides. Looking beyond the subject and concentrating on manufacture enables access to how we consume this type of image. Editor: That’s a really insightful way to consider art. Thanks for making me see the artwork's making, and what went into it! Curator: My pleasure. Focusing on how something is made helps us consider *why* it was made that way.