Jockey 1882

Edgar Degas’s drawing, Jockey, captures a fleeting moment of movement with stark lines. Degas was a prominent figure in the Impressionist movement, and lived through a rapidly changing France, marked by industrialization and shifting class structures. Here, we see a glimpse into the world of horse racing, a popular spectacle enjoyed across social classes. Yet, it was also a world deeply intertwined with issues of class and labor. Jockeys, often from working-class backgrounds, risked their lives for the entertainment of the wealthy elite. The sketch aesthetic captures this sense of in-betweenness, of people and animals captured and presented for entertainment. Degas doesn’t glorify the sport; instead, he captures the tension and exertion inherent in this world. Degas’s work invites us to reflect on the complex relationships between labor, leisure, and social class in 19th-century France. He offers an alternative narrative, one which hints at the grit and tension beneath the glamorous surface of the racing world.