In terms of the racetrack, Degas did not initially explicitly depict the magnitude of horse autonomy that he believed existed in the relationship between horse and jockey. Rather, in his early works, he hinted and it and presented in a more subtle manner than he did in his later depictions. In analyzing the relationship between horse and jockey in Degas’ next major works, Before the Race (1871-1872), it may seem as though Boggs was totally correct in her assertion that as Degas progressed in his career and in his life he began to get more comfortable with the notion of jockey control in the horse-jockey relationship. In Before the Race, Degas depicts a large number of horses and jockeys in preparation, waiting for the start of a race. The interaction depicted in this works seems to suggest that the jockeys had a large measure of control over the horses, as they all are waiting patiently for the race to begin. Upon closer analysis, however, it is evident this painting demonstrates a lack of control. Boggs herself admits there is a “nervous tension” that pervades the interaction of all the horses and jockeys (qtd. Boggs, 97). Moreover, despite the control evident in the interaction of most of the riders on the left, two of the most prominent jockeys are struggling. The jockey in the yellow jersey in the center of the painting is pulling hard on the reigns as he turns into the pool of riders. Additionally, the jockey on the far right, to whom Degas draws our attention to with his singularity, is also struggling with his horse: he is forced to pull back hard on its reigns as he gallops towards the center, refusing to slow down. Therefore, despite the presence of the stationary jockeys in the bottom left corner and the semblance of control this group exhibits, the focus of this painting is clearly on the interaction of the two jockeys who are struggling with their horses. Degas uses this contrast between riders in control and riders in chaos to heighten the importance of the troubled interaction between horse and jockey. Moreover, this subtle technique of hinting at, and not overtly displaying, the troubled interaction between horse and jockey is evident in some of Degas’ other early works, such as The Promenade on Horseback (1867-1868) and Horses and Riders on a Road (1867-1868), in which the troubled interaction is present but not explicitly stated. Therefore, we see that as he transitioned from a Neo- Classical to a modern view of horse, Degas maintained his view of the horse as a majestic and powerful animal, and this reverence is what caused him to paint the animal as uncontrollable: he believed that the horse was too magnificent a creature to be subservient to man in the trivial exercise of a horserace.
Images:
Degas, Edgar. Before the Race, 1871-1872. National Gallery of Art, Washington.