Edgar Degas’ ‘Horses in a Meadow’ (1871)

In this horizontal painting by Edgar Degas, a dark brown horse rests its head on the back of a cream-white horse, both standing on a grassy hill overlooking a river or canal. The scene features sage-green hills, buildings with parchment-white and peanut-brown walls, red and chocolate-brown roofs, and gray smoke rising from chimneys. Boats float near the opposite shore, where the land rises into distant pastures with animals. Loosely painted, the background is soft and indistinct, with touches of green and brown suggesting trees and buildings. The ivory sky is tinged with pink and blue near the horizon. Signed “E. Degas 71” in the lower right.