A rare 19th-century oil on canvas by the aristocratic painter and distinguished collector, Count Charles Gaston Esmangart de Bournonville de Saint-Maurice (1831-1905). It depicts an equestrian gathering on a clear but moody autumn day, executed with a confident, loose brushstroke and sensitive use of colour. Gaston de Saint Maurice was a key figure in Parisian high society during the Second Empire, a passionate collector and an enthusiastic horseman. He served for a decade (1868�1878) as the Grand Equerry to Khedive Isma''il Pasha and Director General of the Stables in Egypt. This practical expertise is evident in the confident and accurate portrayal of the horses in the scene, which is notoriously difficult to achieve.De Saint Maurice was also a renowned collector of Islamic and European art. He is historically recognised as one of the earliest French collectors of Islamic Art, with approximately 400 objects from his collection acquired by the South Kensington Museum (now th...