The Races at the Bois De Boulogne

The Races at the Bois de Boulogne was created in pastel in 1881 and is held by the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome. By this date De Nittis had produced multiple canvases and pastels of the Longchamp races, making it one of his defining recurring themes. Pastel suited the racetrack subject particularly well: its powdery luminosity could capture the shimmer of outdoor light and the colours of jockeys' silks with a freshness that oil could not always match. Degas's pastels of ballet dancers and racehorses had established the medium as capable of serious sustained work, and De Nittis's use of it for racing subjects showed both awareness of Degas's innovations and his own independent command of the medium. The Roman gallery's acquisition places De Nittis within Italian national art history.

Pastel on paper with layered colour strata building luminosity rather than blending to flatness. Rapid, confident strokes suggest moving horses, jockeys, and crowds without fully defining form. Outdoor light is captured through a high-keyed palette with warm yellows and greens in the turf.