James Tissot

Clad in shimmering scales and diadems, the elegant charioteers in Ladies of the Chariots were called amazones, so named for the strength needed to hold the reins from a standing position. These women raced horses at top speed around the interior track of the Hippodrome de l’Alma, an enormous iron and glass structure built in Paris in 1877.

Tissot places the viewer at an unusual vantage point, not in the stands with the rest of the audience but on the track, perilously close to the performers, heightening the risk involved in their act. He also takes great care to highlight the architectural and technological features of the Hippodrome, including the partly retractable ceiling and the electric lights, which enabled evening performances.