Exhibited at the historically significant 1905 Salon d’Automne in Paris, Édouard Manet’s ‘Pelouse du champ de courses à Longchamp’ (1865) belongs to the artist’s rare racecourse pictures, comprised of only six known oil paintings as well as a handful of sketches and watercolors.

This important painting is a companion to a canvas at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Both works were originally part of a larger composition that Manet divided into three individual works, a technique he often employed to intensify the focus on his subjects. The third section, which likely depicted the exhilarating rush of horses thundering towards the viewer, is no longer extant.

In this painting, Manet brilliantly captures the public spectacle of 19th Century French horse racing. A woman of elevated status, distinguished by her stylish hat and accessories, leans across the barrier, gazing at either the equestrian scene or the social milieu unfolding around her.

The surface of this painting is striking, with Manet’s loose, broad brushstrokes evoking both movement and the play of dappled sunlight on the woman’s dress. His use of black, in contrast to the emerging Impressionist palette, underscores the influence of Spanish masters like Diego Velázquez and Francisco Goya. 

This modern subject reflects the sweeping changes in Paris during Manet’s time. At this time, French horse racing was elevated to a grand public spectacle particularly after the 1857 inauguration of the Hippodrome de Longchamp in the Bois de Boulogne on the western edge of Paris. The races also inspired other artists like Edgar Degas, who not only painted them but also accompanied Manet, sketching him among the crowd.