Franz Alt (1821-1905), Franz Alt (1821-1905) The Longchamp Racecourse (Hippodrome de Longchamp) at the Bois de Boulogne, Paris 1876

Franz Alt (1821-1905)
The Longchamp Racecourse (Hippodrome de Longchamp) at the Bois de Boulogne, Paris 1876

The painter travelled to France in 1876, where he captured the lively hustle and bustle of the Longchamp horse race in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris. The grandstands can be seen in the background; the horse race itself is obscured by the crowd of spectators in the foreground. Some ladies and gentlemen have stood up in their carriages to watch the race over people's heads. On the right, a woman in a blue dress is using a small telescope. In the foreground, a couple is strolling in the centre of the picture, next to them two ladies are walking to the right and a family with a girl and boy have also joined them at the edge of the picture. The figures are characterised by a keen sense of observation. Franz von Alt used sketchbooks to capture people observed from nature. Watercolour on paper, 13 × 17.5 cm. Signed Franz Alt 1876