Jockeys 1895

Edgar Degas produced this painting of jockeys in France, probably in the 1880s, using oil on canvas. It's a scene of anticipation as the riders await the start of a race, the horses captured in a moment of tense calm. Degas was fascinated by modern life, and his work often depicted scenes of leisure and entertainment that were popular among the Parisian middle and upper classes. Horse racing was a particularly fashionable activity, and the artist found a rich source of subject matter in the spectacle of the track. But Degas wasn't just interested in surface appearances. He was also drawn to the social dynamics of the racetrack, the ways in which class, wealth, and power were on display in this carefully staged environment. To truly understand Degas's work, we need to look at the social conditions that shaped its production. By consulting historical records, newspapers, and other primary sources, we can begin to reconstruct the world in which Degas lived and worked, and to understand the complex relationship between art and society.