Gulliver's first encounter with the Houyhnhnms

Details

Sawrey Gilpin (Carlisle 1733-1807 London)
Gulliver's first encounter with the Houyhnhnms
oil on canvas
24 7/8 x 30 in. (63.2 x 76.2 cm.)

Provenance

Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, London, 9 April 1997, lot 122 (where purchased by the current owner).

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

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Lot Essay

The subject is taken from the celebrated satirical novel Gulliver's Travels written by Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), which was first published in 1726. In Part IV of the book Gulliver finds himself abandonned on an island ruled by intelligent horses called Houyhnhnms, a name which in their language means 'perfect by nature'. The rational behaviour of the Houyhnhms is contrasted to that of the other inhabitants of the island, the Yahoos, who are savage humanlike creatures.

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