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Lot Essay
Little is known of this artist who painted in both England and Ireland during the first half of the 19th Century. One of his most impressive works entitled Coursing at Stonehenge is owned by the British Sporting Art Trust and shows two large greyhounds in the centre foreground in mid-gallop, the field and Stonehenge in the distance. The composition of the animals in motion and his draughtsmanship is comparable to the present work.
The stands in the distance of this picture are too indistinct to be certain but it is likely that this could be Epsom. This horse is most likely to be Lord Wilton's Gladiator, who ran second to Bay Middleton (see lot 16) in the 1836 Derby despite having been slow at the start. Records do not show him running again. Lord Wilton's colors were white with a black cap and Gladiator was a chestnut colt. He was ridden in this race by Bill Scott, who had black hair as in the present work. When at stud he got an outstanding horse in Sweetmeat and was eventually sold to France in 1846, where he was a huge success.
The stands in the distance of this picture are too indistinct to be certain but it is likely that this could be Epsom. This horse is most likely to be Lord Wilton's Gladiator, who ran second to Bay Middleton (see lot 16) in the 1836 Derby despite having been slow at the start. Records do not show him running again. Lord Wilton's colors were white with a black cap and Gladiator was a chestnut colt. He was ridden in this race by Bill Scott, who had black hair as in the present work. When at stud he got an outstanding horse in Sweetmeat and was eventually sold to France in 1846, where he was a huge success.