selected works of Degas

Avant la Course Analysis As one of the impressionist greats, Edgar Degas uses pastels to create a landscape with four horses with jockeys in Avant la Course (Race Horses). Like most Degas’, instead of using intimate detail, this piece concentrates more on form and composition. This Pastel uses depth as a quintessential part of its composition by the placement of the figures and the vegetation. Each horse with its rider is put one in front …

…are for two reasons. First, so we can literally feel the painting and not just look at it, and second, so we can optically blend the colors right there on the cardboard. What also makes this a strong piece is the way the primary colors of the jockeys are echoed in the landscape surrounding them and the horses they ride. Employing these elements, Degas creates a structurally sound, aesthetically pleasing piece in Avant la Course.