Big Race

Clarice Smith, Big Race, 2001, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Melvin and Ryna Cohen and the Funger Foundation, Norma Lee and Morton Funger, 2003.3
Clarice Smith, Big Race, 2001, oil on canvas, 36 1⁄2 x 76 1⁄2 in. (92.7 x 194.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Melvin and Ryna Cohen and the Funger Foundation, Norma Lee and Morton Funger, 2003.3

Artwork Details

Title
Big Race
Artist
Date
2001
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
36 1⁄2 x 76 1⁄2 in. (92.7 x 194.3 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Melvin and Ryna Cohen and the Funger Foundation, Norma Lee and Morton Funger
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure group — male
  • Occupation — sport — jockey
  • Equestrian
Object Number
2003.3
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2003.3

Artwork Description

Clarice Smith loves horses and has created many paintings of equestrian events, including races, polo matches, and show jumping. In Big Race, she emphasized the fast-paced action of the event by painting the horses and their riders at close range. The huddled figures and intent expressions of the jockeys reveal the breathtaking proximity of the riders as they maneuver for advantage and head toward the finish line. The horizontal format of the canvas and Smith's lively brushstrokes underscore the drama of the race as we imagine the horses thundering around the track.

Works by this artist (20 items)

View all artworks
Anna Hyatt Huntington, Llama, 1936, cast aluminum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1967.50.12
Llama
Artist
Date1936
cast aluminum
On view
Anna Hyatt Huntington, Rhino and Lioness, ca. 1936-1955, cast aluminum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1967.50.5
Rhino and Lioness
Artist
Dateca. 1936-1955
cast aluminum
On view
Anna Hyatt Huntington, Mare and Foal, 1905, cast aluminum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1967.50.3
Mare and Foal
Artist
Date1905
cast aluminum
On view
Anna Hyatt Huntington, Wild Boar, 1936, cast aluminum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1967.50.8
Wild Boar
Artist
Date1936
cast aluminum
On view

More Artworks from the Collection

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William King, Good Old Days, 1983, aluminum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1985.82.1
Good Old Days
Artist
Date1983
aluminum
Not on view
Anna Hyatt Huntington, Llama, 1936, cast aluminum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1967.50.12
Llama
Artist
Date1936
cast aluminum
On view
Unidentified (American), Fish Decoy, ca. 1940s, carved and painted wood, painted aluminum sheet, painted ferrous eye hooks, and lead weights, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Alastair B. Martin, 1999.67.15
Fish Decoy
Artist
Unidentified (American)
Dateca. 1940s
carved and painted wood, painted aluminum sheet, painted ferrous eye hooks, and lead weights
On view
Buddy Wayman, Sucker Decoy, after 1940, carved and painted wood, aluminum sheet metal, ferrous eye hook, and lead weight, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Alastair B. Martin, 1999.67.2
Sucker Decoy
Artist
Attributed to Buddy Wayman
Dateafter 1940
carved and painted wood, aluminum sheet metal, ferrous eye hook, and lead weight
On view