The artwork “Races at Longchamp” was created by the renowned artist Édouard Manet around 1867. This exemplar of Impressionism is crafted with oil on canvas and reflects the genre painting style. It measures 43.7 by 84.5 centimeters and currently resides at the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The artwork was brought into existence in France, and through its expressive brushwork and atmospheric qualities, it captures the essence of a momentary scene reflective of its time.
In the artwork, Manet portrays a vivid snapshot of the horse races at the well-known Longchamp Racecourse in Paris. The sense of movement and immediacy is conveyed through a flurry of brush strokes that capture the dynamism of the racing thoroughbreds and the jockeys aboard them, resplendent in their racing silks. The horses are central to the composition, caught in mid-gallop as they rush towards the viewer, their musculature and power accentuated by the artist’s skillful use of color and light.
The spectators are represented in the background; their forms are rendered with rapid, almost abstract strokes, suggesting the frenetic energy of the crowd. Distinguished from the racing action, these onlookers are clustered around the edges of the racetrack, with some figures beneath parasols hinting at the social rituals and attire of the event.
Manet’s depiction of the sky adds a dramatic backdrop to the scene, with swirling clouds and varying tones that evoke the variable Parisian weather, perhaps also reflecting the emotional charge of the race itself. This work is emblematic of Manet’s approach to modern-life subjects, capturing scenes of contemporary leisure and entertainment with a painterly technique that would prove influential for the next generation of Impressionist artists.
