This year, GuestViews is coming back to the Jeu de Paume, the exhibition room of the Domain of Chantilly! Its new exhibition, “Painting the Races”, proposes to retrace the history of this emblematic subject of the modern era, both in England and in France. Never heard of sporting art? Learn all about it in this article!
The term “sporting art” originally referred to the paintings and drawings that were inspired by popular rural sports like hunting. In the 19th century, the genre started to decline in popularity because of the beginning of industrialisation and the urban era. It then picked up again by reinventing itself through the emerging new sports such as football and rugby. This specific genre was especially popular in Great Britain, and at its core was the representation of movement.
The first master of that genre was certainly the painter George Stubbs, whose studies on the anatomy of horses allowed him to attain a then unheard-of level of technique. A number of his works constitute the first part of the exhibition at the Jeu de Paume.
Though the tradition of sporting art came from Britain, French painter Théodore Géricault played a major part in popularising it in 19th century France, namely through his “Derby d’Epsom” (“Epsom Derby”). Some twenty works by Géricault make up the second part of the exhibition.
The theme of the races as an artistic motif also captivated Edgar Degas, who spearheaded a whole generation of artists the likes of Édouard Manet and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. The exhibition ends with some of his works as its third part, as well as with extracts from the first films depicting galloping horses. The race towards movement thus takes a new turn with the birth of cinema, for which movement is at the very core of the art form.
You have until 14 October 2018 to come discover the exhibition and its 70 magnificent works of art. Don’t wait longer, and remember to leave a comment on the GuestViews digital guestbook!