Cheshire Antiques Consultant Ltd has dated this Victorian Equestrian Oil Painting to the Victorian era.
Thomas Smythe (1825-1906)
Signed T Smythe lower left.
The composition centres upon a huntsman in a vivid red riding coat and white breeches, mounted upon a striking a grey horse shown at full gallop. Immediately behind him follows a second gentleman in a dark riding coat and tall black top hat, mounted upon a rich chestnut brown horse. Further riders continue into the landscape, while a pack of hounds can be seen running across the open field to the left. Additional mounted figures recede towards the distant tree line.
The expansive landscape is painted beneath a beautifully atmospheric blue and grey sky, with softly developed clouds, distant trees and warmly coloured countryside. The contrasting white horse, red riding coat and dark horse create a particularly effective central focus.
Oil on canvas.
The painting is presented in an impressive decorative swept gilt frame.
This is an especially attractive example of Thomas Smythe's interest in landscape, animals, rural life and sporting subjects, combining equestrian action with an expansive English countryside setting.
Thomas Smythe was a Suffolk-born British landscape and animal painter, born at Ipswich in 1825. He exhibited extensively during his career, including with the Society of British Artists, and was an active member of the Ipswich Fine Art Club from 1878 to 1903. His work encompasses landscapes, animals, rustic subjects, agricultural scenes and sporting imagery. He was the younger brother of fellow Suffolk artist Edward Robert Smythe.
Provenance: Private collection. Wilkinson's Auctioneers Ltd, Auction 0094, Private Collections, Lot 586, 9 October 2022. The original Wilkinson's invoice, No. 202, records the work as Thomas Smythe (1825-1906), An Oil on Canvas: Hunting Scene, signed lower left 28 x 42 inches (71 x 107 cm), in a decorative swept gilt frame, 33 1/2 x 47 1/4 inches (85 x 120 cm). Original auction documentation retained. Subsequently curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD.
Dimensions: Canvas approximately 71 x 107 cm. Framed approximately 85 x 120 cm. Frame depth approximately 5 cm.
Condition: Fine used antique condition. The canvas has been relined. There are areas of foxing or staining, scuffs, paint loss and scattered retouching or paint restoration. The decorative gilt frame has general age-related wear, including scuffs, chips, abrasions and minor losses consistent with age and previous handling. Please study all photographs carefully as they form part of the description.
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The artwork will be supplied with a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution issued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD, recording the artwork's catalogue details, attribution, provenance as stated and details of the sale. This document accompanies the work as part of its ongoing ownership and provenance record.
The historical observations, provenance research, attribution analysis and contextual commentary presented within this catalogue entry represent the professional opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD. They are offered in good faith as informed scholarly assessments based upon the available evidence, comparative research, published reference material and our experience within the international fine art market.
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Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD.
Cheshire Antiques Consultant Ltd has dated this Victorian Equestrian Oil Painting to the Victorian era.
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Large Victorian Fox Hunting Grey & Chestnut Horses Galloping Oil Painting by Thomas Smythe
