Jockey

Jockey is a notable drawing created by Edgar Degas in 1898. This piece exemplifies Degas’s late career obsession with capturing motion and the specialized world of horse racing, a frequent theme in his entire body of work. Executed using washed pastel and transferred pastel, the technique highlights Degas’s innovative approach to drawing. He often utilized pastel not merely as a dry drawing medium, but incorporated solvents or fixatives (washing) to achieve rich, painterly effects, blurring the traditional lines between drawing and painting.

Completed during the period of 1876 to 1900, this French drawing reflects the shift in artistic trends prevalent at the close of the nineteenth century. Unlike his contemporaries who focused heavily on landscape and plein air painting, Degas devoted his energy to interior scenes, dance, and the spectacle of modern urban life, of which the racetrack was a prime example. The immediacy provided by the pastel medium allowed Degas to rapidly record form and shadow, emphasizing the solitary concentration of the jockey and the quiet anticipation before the race. Degas was renowned for his ability to convey psychological depth, even in works focused primarily on athletic activity and instantaneous movement.

This specific drawing remains a highlight of the National Gallery of Art collection, showcasing the artist’s mastery of line and color in his mature period. Because of the popularity and importance of works from this era, high-quality prints and reproductions derived from the collection are often available through public domain initiatives, allowing broader access to the genius of this masterwork. This work provides valuable insight into Degas's sophisticated and evolving technical repertoire.