Morning Ride

Painted in 1866, Morning Ride represents an early entry in Degas's exploration of equestrian subjects, a theme he would pursue over four decades. In the mid-1860s Degas was beginning to turn from history painting toward scenes of modern Parisian life, and the fashionable riding paths of the Bois de Boulogne offered a subject that combined movement, social observation, and the challenge of capturing horses in action. This early racecourse and riding work shows Degas still integrating influences from English sporting prints and Géricault with his emerging modernist sensibility. Now at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

The painting shows Degas's early confident command of equine anatomy, horses captured mid-movement with careful study from observation. The composition uses a low horizon that gives prominence to the figures against a luminous sky. Brushwork is more restrained than his later loose handling, with forms modeled through considered tonal gradation. The outdoor light is rendered with fresh clarity.