Edgar Degas

This drawing is one of many that Degas made at racetracks in suburbs outside Paris. These works were often created using pastel sticks, although oil paints were a more commonly used medium at the time. Suiting the rapidity of the horses he depicted, this powdery chalk allowed Degas to sketch spontaneously and directly, combining loose lines and planes of color. Pastels required no advance preparation of materials, no drying time, and could be adjusted and reworked easily. Degas also combined pastel with other materials such as goauche, the opaque white paint seen here in the horizontal fence.

The racetrack as a subject intermittently occupied Degas’s attention during most of his mature life as an artist, providing him with a focus for his study of the interaction of form and movement. His Before the Race is built upon three horizontals: the fence, the friezelike disposition of the jockeys’ heads, and the horizon line. These elements create a rhythmic contrast to the horses’ curved forms and the prominent vertical strokes of the landscape, achieved with multiple layers of pastel. Key to the composition is the rigid fence in white gouache, which stands out from the surrounding textures and softer hues of the chalk. The fence pushes the jockeys and their mounts forward, contributing to a sense of excitement and anticipation as the group prepares to race.