The Head of the Fallen Jockey (study for "Scene from the Steeplechase: The Fallen Jockey") by Edgar Degas captures a visceral moment of athletic disaster, reflecting the artist's intense focus on modern life and movement. Executed between 1866 and 1881, this drawing served as a preparatory study for a larger, complex painting focused on horse racing, a popular subject for French artists exploring contemporary Parisian leisure and its attendant risks.
The immediacy of the composition is achieved through the use of black chalk heightened with white on brown paper. This direct technique allows Degas to emphasize contrast and volume, rendering the jockey’s head with dramatic shadow and light, suggesting pain, exhaustion, or disorientation. This rigorous approach exemplifies the shift in artistic priorities during the period spanning roughly from 1851 to 1875, where Realist and early Impressionist painters sought to depict unidealized subjects from the modern world. Degas, known for his relentless observation, meticulously studied the anatomical details of motion and repose, whether on the racetrack or in the ballet studio.
Unlike his typically dynamic compositions, this preparatory piece isolates the figure, focusing solely on the emotional and physical consequence of the steeplechase incident, a subject often sanitized by academic painters. As a study, it provides significant insight into Degas’s working method and his dedication to capturing ephemeral moments with precision, reinforcing his standing among great French draughtsmen. The work is particularly valuable for understanding the structure of the ambitious final painting, Scene from the Steeplechase: The Fallen Jockey. Today, scholars often rely on high-resolution prints and documentation of such studies, many now entering the public domain, to analyze the construction of Degas’s final canvases. This seminal drawing is currently held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
Important: ArtBee makes no warranties about the copyright status of this artwork. To the best of our knowledge, based on information from the source museum, we believe this work is in the public domain.
You are responsible for determining the rights status and securing any permissions needed for your use. Copyright status may vary by jurisdiction. See our License & Usage page and Terms of Service for details.