Jockeys before the Start with Flagpoll 1879

Edgar Degas captured this scene of jockeys before the race using oil on canvas. Look at the flagpole cutting through the composition, a seemingly simple vertical element that is heavy with meaning. Historically, poles have been markers of place, like the Roman ‘milliarium’ indicating distance. Similarly, the equestrian motif itself echoes throughout history, from ancient Roman equestrian statues to Renaissance portrayals of power. Here, the pole is a starting point, a division of space and time, but also an anticipation, charged with the latent energy of the impending race. Consider the horses, symbols of primal energy and untamed power. These symbols resonate deep within our collective memory, calling to mind the dynamic sculptures of horses from the classical world. The jockeys, clad in their bright silks, represent the human attempt to harness and control this energy. This cyclical motif of man and beast, the tension between control and freedom, repeats through centuries of art.