19th Century Antique Painting of Jockeys in Action by Giacomo Varese

Jockeys in Full Flight by Giacomo Varese

Hold on to your hat. This wonderfully animated oil painting captures a thrilling moment on the racetrack, with a lively group of jockeys urging their horses forward at full gallop. Hooves fly, racing silks flash, and the whole composition seems to surge towards the finish line with glorious, slightly chaotic energy.

Painted with loose, expressive brushstrokes, the scene is full of movement and personality. The jockeys lean into the race with determined concentration, while the horses appear to have ideas of their own. Their spirited poses and wonderfully animated gestures bring a touch of humour to the composition, giving the painting a joyful sense of theatre. One can almost hear the thunder of hooves and the distant roar of the crowd.

The painting is signed in the lower corner by Giacomo Varese (1815–1892) and remains beautifully presented in its original giltwood frame, complete with the gentle patina and character that only time can create.

When we first discovered this piece, its colours and details were hiding beneath decades of darkened varnish and surface grime. The race was still there, but it felt as though the jockeys were galloping through a rather thick fog. After careful professional restoration, the painting underwent a remarkable transformation. The cleaning revealed a wonderfully vibrant palette, bringing the bright racing silks, warm earthy tones and expressive horses back into view. What was once a shadowy and somewhat mysterious scene has returned to life with colour, movement and a renewed sense of excitement.

About Giacomo Varese
Giacomo Varese was a Ligurian painter best known for his landscapes. He studied under the Genoese painter and stage designer Michele Canzio, an influential figure in the artistic world of nineteenth-century Genoa, and became a member of the Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti in 1838.

Although landscapes formed the heart of his oeuvre, this lively racing scene reveals another side of the artist. Here, Varese exchanges quiet scenery for flying hooves and racing colour, showing a confident ability to capture movement, atmosphere and character. His freer, more expressive handling of paint may suggest that this work was created later in his career.

The painting has been professionally cleaned and conserved by a restorer affiliated with the University of Amsterdam. During the conservation process, a small tear in the canvas was carefully treated and stabilised.

A wonderfully spirited piece for a library, hallway, country house or interior in need of a little movement. Because not every painting is content to sit quietly on the wall.