Two Sportsmen Mounting Their Horses

The print Two Sportsmen Mounting Their Horses by Edgar Degas, created in 1856, offers an intimate early glimpse into the artist's lifelong fascination with the world of movement and athletic preparation. This delicate work is an etching, executed on China paper, demonstrating Degas’s foundational technical skills in printmaking well before he became known as a leading figure in the Impressionist movement. The classification of this piece as a print places it within the broader tradition of French graphic arts during the mid-nineteenth century.

Dating precisely to 1856, the image belongs to the defining period of 1851 to 1875 in French history. The scene depicts two male figures interacting with their mounts, captured in the specific moment before a ride or race, a subject matter that Degas would revisit often throughout his career. Unlike his later works characterized by vivid color and dramatic cropping, this early etching relies on precise draftsmanship and the linear effects achievable through the acid-biting process. The composition emphasizes the structure of the horses and the focused attention of the sportsmen, reflecting the growing cultural significance of equestrian events within Parisian society during the Second Empire.

The execution of this etching highlights the nascent talent of Degas in capturing subtle human and animal interactions through the challenging medium of the graphic arts. While his later lithographs and monotypes are widely studied, this early print represents a critical stage in the evolution of the artist's vision. This important example of French art is currently held in the esteemed collection of the National Gallery of Art. As with many works of this age, the detailed records and high-quality images provided by the museum allow scholars worldwide to study the piece, demonstrating how these historic prints often transition into the realm of the public domain for broader educational access.