Horse Trotting, the Feet Not Touching the Ground

Art Historical Context

Step into the dynamic world of Edgar Degas *Horse Trotting, the Not Touching the Ground*, a captivating bronze sculpture originally modeled in wax during the 1870s and cast in copper alloy between 1920 and 1924. Standing at 21.6 cm tall without its base, this 22.2 x 12.5 x 27.8 cm work the National Gallery of Art collection—graciously gifted by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon—captures horse in mid-trot, its hooves elegantly suspended, evoking pure motion. Degas, a French artist associated with Impressionism yet renowned for his realist precision, was obsessed with horse racing and the anatomy of movement. Created amid debates sparked by Eadweard Muybridge's chronophotography—proving that a trotting or galloping horse lifts all four feet off the ground—this piece reflects Degas' scientific curiosity. He amassed over 150 wax horse models in his studio, studying live animals at Paris racetracks to achieve lifelike dynamism. The sculpture's significance lies in its pioneering role in modern sculpture. Degas' wax originals, fragile and experimental, were posthumously cast into durable copper alloy, preserving his innovative blend of observation and artistry. This trotting equine invites us to ponder the fleeting beauty of motion, a hallmark of Degas' enduring legacy.

About the Artist

Edgar Degas · 1834–1917

Edgar Degas (1834-1917) stands as one of the most innovative artists of the nineteenth century, whose distinctive vision transformed how modern life could be depicted on canvas. Born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas in Paris to a wealthy banking family—his father French, his mother a Louisiana Creole from New Orleans—Degas received a classical education before abandoning law studies in 1855 to pursue ...