Cheshire Antiques Consultant Ltd has dated this Arabian Horse Oil Painting to the Victorian era.
A fine English Victorian sporting oil painting depicting a magnificent Purebred Red Chestnut Arabian horse standing in full side profile within the celebrated Bombay Stables, India (present-day Mumbai).
Painted in oil on board, the composition portrays the Arabian horse beneath a pale green canvas awning erected to shield the animal from the intense Indian sun. Beyond the stable yard lies Bombay Harbour, where a sailing yacht can be seen crossing the calm estuary, creating a charming Anglo-Indian coastal setting.
The artist has captured the horse with considerable skill, carefully observing its elegant proportions, muscular definition and refined Arabian features. The rich chestnut coat is beautifully contrasted against the cool greens of the awning and the soft blue tones of the distant harbour, resulting in a balanced and highly decorative composition.
Arabian horses were among the most highly prized bloodlines throughout the British Empire during the nineteenth century, particularly within the racing, military and breeding establishments of colonial India. Sporting portraits such as this celebrated valuable horses in much the same way family portraits commemorated distinguished owners, making them enduringly popular with collectors of Victorian sporting art and equestrian paintings.
The work is attributed to an English School artist working around 1900 and painted in the manner of Charles Bilger Spalding, whose horse portraits and sporting subjects remain highly regarded by collectors today. Spalding exhibited at the Royal Academy and became well known for his accomplished equestrian paintings during the Victorian period.
The painting is presented in its traditional gilt frame and is ready for display.
Provenance
Original labels remain attached to the reverse.
• Holloway's Auctioneers, Banbury, Oxfordshire
• Original typed collection label reading:
"Chestnut Arab in the Bombay Stables
Bought from the Anneji
And sold for £980."
• Curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD.
These surviving labels provide an appealing documented ownership history and accompany the painting as part of its provenance.
Measurements
Height: 13.6 inches (34.5 cm)
Width: 16.5 inches (42 cm)
Depth: 1.8 inches (4.5 cm)
Condition
Presented in good antique condition, displaying the expected signs of age including craquelure, areas of foxing and minor paint loss towards the outer edges. The original gilt frame has age-related wear including light scuffs, surface marks and small losses consistent with its age. Please refer to the photographs as they form part of the condition report.
A decorative and collectable work
A charming example of late Victorian sporting art, combining English equestrian painting with the fascinating history of colonial India. Ideal for collectors of sporting art, Arabian horse portraits, Anglo-Indian paintings, Victorian oil paintings, British sporting art and traditional country house interiors.
Cheshire Antiques Consultant Ltd has dated this Arabian Horse Oil Painting to the Victorian era.
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Oil Painting Purebred Arabian Horse Bombay Stables, India
