Sporting Pictures
Throughout the 17th and 18th century, portraits of famous horses, prize-winning
cattle, pigs and dogs were produced as a record of their magnificence. The
tradition continued in the 19th century, so there is a wide selection of animal
portraits available at auction. There are many well known equestrian artists, such
as James Ward, Henry Thomas Alken, John Fredrick Herring Sr
and Alfred Munnings are, perhaps, among the greatest English artists.
Equestrian pictures vary on their subject from portraits to horse racing and, perhaps,
the most popular area is hunting scenes. Images reminiscent of a bygone era, hunting
scenes continue to attract buyers at auction. In particular, scenes by Lionel Edwards
and Charles 'Snaffles' Johnson Payne (1884-1967) continue to hold their
ground in the mid-market price range.
Four light Brahmas painted by the renowned 19th century artist, JW Ludlow.
As
West Country auctioneers,
we deal with clients and estates with strong rural links. One such example was the
sale of original artwork by the Victorian ornithological artist JW Ludlow.
Perhaps the most famous poultry artist of the 19th century, Ludlow produced the
illustrations for Lewis Wright's 1873 Wright's Book of Poultry. Whilst
many prints are available of Ludlow's detailed illustrations, original pieces are
not often found at auction. Found in an attic of a descendant, a number of
original oil on canvas paintings attracted great interest from breeders and private
clients.
A pheasant cock and hen by Archibald Thorburn fetched £26,000 in a Bearnes Hampton
& Littlewood sale.
Another master bird-illustrator of the early 20th century was Archibald Thorburn
(1860-1935), who spent much of his time in Scotland sketching birds in the wild.
The quality of his work represented a stylistic change in wildlife art that has
created a great demand for his work. Prices range from £26,000 for the pheasant
and cock hen seen above down to £1,300 for the woodcock painted en grisaille
seen below.
A woodcock painted en-grisaille by Archibald Thorburn fetched £1,300 in the pictures
section of a Sporting auction.
Though the majority of sporting pictures are of a rural theme, modern sporting pictures
of motor racing are also found. Replacing the equine portrait in the 20th century,
the modern motor racing portrait has become desirable to collectors and private
buyers alike. Dion Pears and Roy Nockolds are, perhaps, the best
known of these artists, covering the 1950s and 1960s period.
Specialists
Associated Department
Pictures