The Antiques Hound has dated this Victorian Equestrian Oil Painting to the 19th Century.
The horse’s rich chestnut-bay coat is handled with notable skill - the sheen and musculature of a thoroughbred in peak condition convincingly rendered, with the characteristic dark points of the legs, mane and tail executed with precision. The mare’s head is finely observed and alert, with a white blaze to the face.
The setting is a well-appointed loose box interior, the pale timber boarding of the stable walls receding convincingly into the background and giving the composition both depth and quiet elegance. Hay is strewn across the stable floor in loose, confident brushwork that contrasts effectively with the tighter handling of the horse - a technique characteristic of Bretland at his best. To the right, a half-open stable door carries an iron ring and chain, while a checked stable rug in red and blue is draped over the door, adding a welcome note of colour to an otherwise warm palette of ochres, creams and browns.
The painting is inscribed with the horse's name directly onto the feeding trough within the composition - an unusual and charming authenticating touch - and signed lower right Bretland, Nottingham. The painting is presented in a later gilt frame, incorporating the original inscribed title plate which is contemporary with the work, identifying the subject: Winner of The Cambridgeshire 1847 / The Widow (by Abbas Mirza – Isabel).
The Cambridgeshire Handicap, run over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket, is one of the oldest and most prestigious handicap races in the British calendar. A portrait commemorating its winner would have been a significant commission, entirely consistent with the aristocratic and sporting patronage Bretland enjoyed throughout the 1840s - his clients included the Dukes of Buccleuch and Montrose, Lord Chesterfield and Baron Rothschild.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Born in Nottingham on 21 April 1802, Thomas Walker Bretland was one of the premier English animal and sporting painters of the mid-19th century. He was eldest son of Peter Bretland, the owner of a coach and carriage painting business. Bretland sketched from an early age and wanted to train as an artist, but his father discouraged this and in 1816 Thomas became apprenticed to him in the family business. Around 1828 he began to paint animal portraits and received commissions. By about 1840, after his father's death, he left the family business and took up the full time occupation of animal painting. He was much encouraged by Lord Middleton one of his first important patrons. Other major patrons included the Dukes of Buccleuch and Montrose, Lord Chesterfield and Baron Rothschild. He worked mainly in oils and his subject matter covered animal portraits generally as well as hunting scenes and landscapes. He was influenced to a degree by one of his fairly close neighbours, John Ferneley Senior. His work has appeared at Christie’s, Bonhams and Sotheby’s.
PROVENANCE
Commissioned c.1847, almost certainly by the owner of The Widow following her Cambridgeshire victory.
Sotheby’s, Chester (Booth Mansion, Watergate Street), 9 July 1987, titled ‘The Widow, Winner of the Cambridgeshire’.
Unicorn Gallery Ltd, Wilmslow, Cheshire (label and stock label verso, catalogue no. 10,031Y).
Private collection thereafter.
CONDITION
Consistent with age and period. The canvas has been relined at some stage. There is a small area of paint loss below the tail, visible on close inspection. The painting is presented in a later gilt frame incorporating the original inscribed title plate, which is contemporary with the work. Overall presentation remains very good for a painting of this date.
The Antiques Hound has dated this Victorian Equestrian Oil Painting to the 19th Century.
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Thomas Walker Bretland (1802–1874) Sporting Horse Portrait Oil Painting of Cambridgeshire 1847 Winner
