A Jockey on His Horse c. 1868 - 1870

Edgar Degas made this image of a jockey on his horse using graphite and brush and wash on paper. Degas, who was a privileged white man, was fascinated by the ballet and the racetrack. In this unfinished piece, the anonymity of the jockey is striking. It serves as a reminder of the lives of working class men who risked their lives in this sport. They disappear into the machinery of the spectacle. The ghost-like quality of the horse is a poignant reminder of the animals that are so often casualties on the track. This piece, while incomplete, captures the tension between visibility and invisibility, class and labor, in the thrilling, yet dangerous world of horse racing.