![Pierre Bonnard - At the Races, Longchamp [c.1894]](http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1655/26496390592_34cf905f81_o.jpg)
This painting reflects on the tradition of equestrian painting established by Bonnard’s predecessors: Gericault, Delacroix, Manet and Degas. For these artists, horse races served as a testament to their abilities, from capturing the grace and agility of the horses to the alluring culture and fashion surrounding the race. As often found in Bonnard’s paintings, the artist explores the essence of an environment; he strikes a balance between the architectural formalities of space and the nature of an evolving movement. Bonnard plays with composition and colour, juxtaposing the fretful foreground, filled with spectators, against the verdant rolling fields of the countryside behind them. By doing so, Bonnard’s painting captures the spirit of modern life: its fleeting moments and social theatrics. He depicts the horse races as a public spectacle, not solely focusing on the horses and riders. Furthermore, Bonnard does not distance the riders from the public, painting them amongst the fashionably dressed spectators.
[Sotheby’s, New York - Oil on canvas, 39.3 x 37.9 cm]