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The Races

1865–72, published 1884
Not on view
During the Second Empire, horseracing was in vogue and the racetrack at Longchamps became a gathering place for fashionable society. A frequent subject of articles in the popular press and of many popular prints, the races drew an elegant crowd of aristocrats and wealthy prostitutes who mingled with bookmakers and bettors. Manet's print is distinctive for its dramatic departure from the traditional lateral view of the horses in favor of a radically foreshortened frontal view of the animals galloping directly toward the spectator posted at one of the curves.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Races
  • Artist: Edouard Manet (French, Paris 1832–1883 Paris)
  • Date: 1865–72, published 1884
  • Medium: Lithograph on chine collé; third state of three
  • Dimensions: Image: 15 1/4 × 20 1/8 in. (38.7 × 51.1 cm)
    Sheet: 20 7/8 × 26 7/8 in. (53 × 68.3 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1920
  • Object Number: 20.17.2
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

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Cat and Flowers, Edouard Manet French, Etching and aquatint; third (final) state; posthumous edition
Cat and Flowers
Edouard Manet
1869
The Smoker (Le Fumeur), Edouard Manet French, Etching on blue laid paper, final state (II)
The Smoker (Le Fumeur)
Edouard Manet
1866–67
Boy with Soap Bubbles, Edouard Manet French, Etching, lavis aquatint, and roulette on laid paper, second state of four
Boy with Soap Bubbles
Edouard Manet
1867–69
The Smoker (Le Fumeur), Edouard Manet French, Etching and drypoint on blue laid paper, only state
The Smoker (Le Fumeur)
Edouard Manet
1879–82
The Water Drinker, Edouard Manet French, Etching and drypoint
The Water Drinker
Edouard Manet
1870–74

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