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Lot Essay
Having taken his first riding lesson in 1890, Lavery quickly discovered that his news skills would be invaluable on trips to North Africa. When he was joined by his daughter Eileen and Mary Auras (see lot 114) in the early years of the century, all three became prominent members of the Tangier Hunt - a motley group of expatriates who, realizing that there were no foxes in the desert, would ride with lances used for 'pig-sticking' wild boar.
A Morning Ride however, depicts a gentler trot along the beach on a calm sunny day. Whilst it is impossible to identify the figures with any certainty, it may be that the rear horseman is R.B. Cunningham Graham, a colourful character who accompanied the artist on several expeditions, wearing a broad-brimmed straw hat. If this assumption is correct, it is also likely that the horse in front of him is being ridden by Eileen Lavery.
In the present view, a portion of the recently extended harbour jetty is visible on the left of the picture. Passenger and other cargo vessels are cruising past in the Straits. After the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, the volume of shipping in these waters increased dramatically. The beach at Tangier was the ideal place to observe the traffic of the Empire.
Despite its idyllic appearance, A Morning Ride was conducted in a period of great tension. As part of a deal to secure the release of prisoners, the brigand, El Raisuli had been installed as Governor of Tangier in 1904 and although he was later awarded special protection from the crown, he was notoriously unreliable. On a number of occasions it was necessary to replace the offshore commercial craft with gunboats. These appear in strength in a closely related canvas produced six years later - French Gunboats, Tangier Bay, 1914, (fig. 1, sold Christie's, 11 June 2003, lot 20). Although a much larger work than the present, there are strong technical similarities between the two.
Lavery produced a large number of canvases of Tangier beach, some of which are essentially seascapes, while others show the views to the east and west of the city. Since it was a main thoroughfare, avoiding the narrow streets and giving access to the centre of the city, the beach was well used by local herdsmen and traders. In the present instance, the riders are heading out in the direction of Villa Harris (see lot 111) as they pass a lone Arab.
We are very grateful to Professor Kenneth McConkey for providing the catalogue entry for lots 110-116.
A Morning Ride however, depicts a gentler trot along the beach on a calm sunny day. Whilst it is impossible to identify the figures with any certainty, it may be that the rear horseman is R.B. Cunningham Graham, a colourful character who accompanied the artist on several expeditions, wearing a broad-brimmed straw hat. If this assumption is correct, it is also likely that the horse in front of him is being ridden by Eileen Lavery.
In the present view, a portion of the recently extended harbour jetty is visible on the left of the picture. Passenger and other cargo vessels are cruising past in the Straits. After the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, the volume of shipping in these waters increased dramatically. The beach at Tangier was the ideal place to observe the traffic of the Empire.
Despite its idyllic appearance, A Morning Ride was conducted in a period of great tension. As part of a deal to secure the release of prisoners, the brigand, El Raisuli had been installed as Governor of Tangier in 1904 and although he was later awarded special protection from the crown, he was notoriously unreliable. On a number of occasions it was necessary to replace the offshore commercial craft with gunboats. These appear in strength in a closely related canvas produced six years later - French Gunboats, Tangier Bay, 1914, (fig. 1, sold Christie's, 11 June 2003, lot 20). Although a much larger work than the present, there are strong technical similarities between the two.
Lavery produced a large number of canvases of Tangier beach, some of which are essentially seascapes, while others show the views to the east and west of the city. Since it was a main thoroughfare, avoiding the narrow streets and giving access to the centre of the city, the beach was well used by local herdsmen and traders. In the present instance, the riders are heading out in the direction of Villa Harris (see lot 111) as they pass a lone Arab.
We are very grateful to Professor Kenneth McConkey for providing the catalogue entry for lots 110-116.