Edgar Degas (Paris, 1834 - 1917, Paris)
Three Mounted Jockeys (Jockey à cheval), about 1885-1888
Black ink, white, flesh and rose washes, oil pigments on brown paper, 30.5 x 24 cm (12 x 9 7/16 in.)
This vertical drawing of three jockeys mounted on horseback is made with black ink on brown paper, to which white, flesh and rose-colored tones have been applied. The most prominent jockey and the horse on which he is seated occupy the upper three quarters of the drawing. This jockey and horse are shown in profile, facing toward our right. The jockey is leaning backward, with his torso and head curved slightly forward and his hands on reins. His cap, the body of his shirt, and his pants are light-colored, as is the background between his head and saddle, but his sleeve is dark. The body of his horse is sparingly rendered; we don’t see its head or legs. The other two jockeys are harder to spot, because they are smaller and drawn upside down at the bottom of the artwork. Their torsos are visible, especially the one to our right that has bright highlighting, but their legs are only suggested, and their mounts are indistinguishable from the horse above them.
Short Gallery
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.