“The Start of the Hunt,” an evocative oil on canvas by Edgar Degas, dates from approximately 1863 to 1865. Embracing the aesthetic of the Impressionist movement, the artwork measures 70 by 89 centimeters and falls within the genre painting category. Notably part of a private collection, the painting captures a moment of anticipation and activity emblematic of Degas’s skill in depicting everyday scenes.
The artwork portrays a group of riders dressed in traditional hunting attire, predominantly red jackets, which vividly stand out against the muted landscape. Their poses and the arrangement of the horses suggest a casual gathering before the commencement of an event, likely a fox hunt given the period and attire. The background merges into a harmonious gradient of dusk or dawn colors, with less definition than the sharply featured forms in the foreground, an element common in the Impressionist movement which focuses on light and color over precise detail. The sense of immediacy and the snapshot-like composition reflect Degas’s interest in the dynamism of modern life and his propensity to capture it on canvas.
