The artwork entitled “Manet at the Races” was created by the renowned artist Edgar Degas in the year 1870. As an impressionist piece, this sketch exemplifies the movement’s inclination toward capturing the essence of modern life with a fresh perspective. Utilizing pencil on paper as the medium, Degas crafted a work with dimensions of 32 by 24.4 centimeters. The genre of the artwork is categorized as a sketch and study, a testament to the artist’s preparatory and exploratory process in artmaking.
In the artwork itself, one observes a figure donning a top hat, presumably Edouard Manet, a fellow Impressionist standing in profile. The figure is sketched with considerable attention to the contours of the clothing and the stance, suggesting a moment of casual observation or a pause in activity. The posture and attire of the figure convey a sense of the customs and fashion of the time. A fainter outline of another figure is seen in the background, and together, they appear to be situated at a social event, which could be inferred as a racecourse due to the title. Degas has effectively captured a candid moment in this artwork, providing insight into the social engagements of the era.
