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拍品专文
The match between Eleanor, winner of the Derby and the Oaks, and Eagle, took place on 31 October 1804 over the five furlongs Two-Year-Old Course at Newmarket, for stakes of 200 guineas a side. Although Sir Charles Bunbury's Eleanor was the favourite in the betting at odds of 8 to 13, she was beaten in an exciting finish by Colonel Melish's Eagle at less than a length.
Richard Prince, the central figure in Marshall's study, was an Irishman of some wealth who had set up a successful training establishment at Newmarket. Despite his many successes on the racecourse, he is probably best known as a victim of the worst case of 'nobbling' in the history of the British Turf: In 1811, an unscrupulous bookmaker hired one Daniel Dawson to poison the water in a horse trough in Newmarket, killing several of Richard Prince's horses.
Colonel Henry Francis Mellish (1782 - 1817) was a leading racehorse owner of the day and associate of the Price Regent. His love of gambling and the racecourse eventually led to his financial demise, not long after the success of Eagle had been captured on canvas by Marshall.
Sir Charles Bunbury (1740 - 1821) was the first significant administrator of the Jockey Club between 1768 - 1820. Known as the first of the three 'Dictators of the Turf', he was also responsible, together with the Earl of Derby, for inaugurating the two Epsom Classics, the Derby and the Oaks.
Mr. Cox, for many year's Bunbury's trainer, died shortly before the 1801 Derby, although Eleanor, whom he had trained for the race, went on to win. His position was filled by Mr. J. Frost, the figure to the left of this sketch. Eleanor, a bay filly, was bred by Bunbury in 1798 from Whiskey out of Young Giantess. She won 26 races from 43 starts over five seasons, inclusing the Derby, the Oaks, King's Plates at Newmarket and Lincoln, and Gold Cups at Oxford, Newmarket and Egham.
Eagle was a bay colt by Volunteer out of Highflyer, bred by Sir Frank Standish in 1796 but later bought by Colonel Mellish. Eagle was reputedly the finest horse of his generation and towards the end of his racing career was bought by a Mr. T.H. Morland, before being exported to Virginia as a stallion, establishing an important American bloodline.
A slightly larger oil study for this painting is also in Tate Britain, measuring 18½ x 14 inches.
THE PROVENANCE
John Hay Whitney, pioneer venture-capitalist, publisher of the New York Herald Tribune, Ambassador to the Court of St. James's, was most well known, along with his wife Betsey Cushing Whitney, as philanthropist and founder of the Greentree Foundation. Their collection included some of the most outstanding Impressionist paintings, many of which were bequeathed to the leading museums, including Vincent van Gogh's Autoportrait now in The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Paul Cézanne's Route Tournante à Montgeroult in The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's Marcelle Lender dansant le boléro dans 'Chilpéric' also in The National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Richard Prince, the central figure in Marshall's study, was an Irishman of some wealth who had set up a successful training establishment at Newmarket. Despite his many successes on the racecourse, he is probably best known as a victim of the worst case of 'nobbling' in the history of the British Turf: In 1811, an unscrupulous bookmaker hired one Daniel Dawson to poison the water in a horse trough in Newmarket, killing several of Richard Prince's horses.
Colonel Henry Francis Mellish (1782 - 1817) was a leading racehorse owner of the day and associate of the Price Regent. His love of gambling and the racecourse eventually led to his financial demise, not long after the success of Eagle had been captured on canvas by Marshall.
Sir Charles Bunbury (1740 - 1821) was the first significant administrator of the Jockey Club between 1768 - 1820. Known as the first of the three 'Dictators of the Turf', he was also responsible, together with the Earl of Derby, for inaugurating the two Epsom Classics, the Derby and the Oaks.
Mr. Cox, for many year's Bunbury's trainer, died shortly before the 1801 Derby, although Eleanor, whom he had trained for the race, went on to win. His position was filled by Mr. J. Frost, the figure to the left of this sketch. Eleanor, a bay filly, was bred by Bunbury in 1798 from Whiskey out of Young Giantess. She won 26 races from 43 starts over five seasons, inclusing the Derby, the Oaks, King's Plates at Newmarket and Lincoln, and Gold Cups at Oxford, Newmarket and Egham.
Eagle was a bay colt by Volunteer out of Highflyer, bred by Sir Frank Standish in 1796 but later bought by Colonel Mellish. Eagle was reputedly the finest horse of his generation and towards the end of his racing career was bought by a Mr. T.H. Morland, before being exported to Virginia as a stallion, establishing an important American bloodline.
A slightly larger oil study for this painting is also in Tate Britain, measuring 18½ x 14 inches.
THE PROVENANCE
John Hay Whitney, pioneer venture-capitalist, publisher of the New York Herald Tribune, Ambassador to the Court of St. James's, was most well known, along with his wife Betsey Cushing Whitney, as philanthropist and founder of the Greentree Foundation. Their collection included some of the most outstanding Impressionist paintings, many of which were bequeathed to the leading museums, including Vincent van Gogh's Autoportrait now in The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Paul Cézanne's Route Tournante à Montgeroult in The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's Marcelle Lender dansant le boléro dans 'Chilpéric' also in The National Gallery of Art, Washington.