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Lot Essay
During the summer of 1940, Munnings was invited by Mr. and Mrs. Rank to stay at their house, Druids Lodge, Wiltshire. Rank commissioned Munnings to paint some of his winners including Southern Hero, Black Speck and Knight's Armour. Munnings was happy there in the company of Mr and Mrs Rank, J.H. Thomas, the former Lord Privy Seal and Dominions Secretary who had been bombed out of his home, and Harry Brown, the famous steeplechase rider who managed Rank's stables. Munnings refers to these three horses as 'all good-lookers' in 'The Finish' (loc. cit.), and in spite of his being in the countryside, there was still much evidence of war as 'sheep were killed, horses injured' by falling bombs from the Battle of Britain.
The present painting is a version of the larger oil (37 x 52 in.) which was one of six paintings exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1948. The larger oil was lent by J.D. Olding to the 1956 retrospective exhibition of Munnings' work at the Royal Academy (no. 104). After painting his 'Horse Conversation Piece' for Rank, Munnings only ever accepted racing commisssions from the King, except for being tempted out of 'retirement' once more by Rank in 1949.
James V. Rank (1881-1952) began racing on a large scale in 1933 and in 1934 he bought the famous Druids Lodge stables on Salisbury Plain where he installed Noel Cannon as his private trainer and had much success with Black Speck, Southern Hero and Knight's Armour, as well as the outstanding steeplechaser Prince Regent. Druids Lodge was a large estate, where Rank had his horses trained as well as bred. Rank was a major owner under both Flat and National Hunt rules with notable wins such as the St Leger with Scottish Union.
Black Speck, a bay gelding, was foaled in 1933 by Black Watch out of Little Mark by Friar's Marcus and in seven seasons ran forty times. He won two races as a two year old including the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, won three times as a four year old in 1937 and five times in 1938 including the Newbury Summer Cup and the Liverpool Autumn Cup, in addition to being third in the Ebor Handicap and fourth in the Cesarewitch. He evidently enjoyed Liverpool, winning again in the Spring Cup of 1939 and 1940. He was a winner again in 1941, making a total of fourteen wins.
Southern Hero, a bay gelding, was foaled in 1925 by Bachelor's Jap, out of Torpedo by Speed. He was a notable steeplechaser whose successes included winning the Scottish Grand National three times, the last occasion when aged fourteen, carrying 12st. 3lbs. He also beat the legendary Golden Miller in a race at Hurst Park when that five times winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup was at the height of his powers.
Knight's Armour, a chestnut gelding, was foaled in 1935 by Sir Cosmo, out of Fario by Salmon Trout and like the above two horses, he was also bred by James Rank. As a two year old, he won six races. At three, he won three of his four starts, including the Fern Hill Stakes at Royal Ascot. In the course of his career, he ran thirty six times and had wins at Ayr, Derby, Beverley, Royal Ascot, Newmarket, Doncaster and Liverpool.
The present painting is a version of the larger oil (37 x 52 in.) which was one of six paintings exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1948. The larger oil was lent by J.D. Olding to the 1956 retrospective exhibition of Munnings' work at the Royal Academy (no. 104). After painting his 'Horse Conversation Piece' for Rank, Munnings only ever accepted racing commisssions from the King, except for being tempted out of 'retirement' once more by Rank in 1949.
James V. Rank (1881-1952) began racing on a large scale in 1933 and in 1934 he bought the famous Druids Lodge stables on Salisbury Plain where he installed Noel Cannon as his private trainer and had much success with Black Speck, Southern Hero and Knight's Armour, as well as the outstanding steeplechaser Prince Regent. Druids Lodge was a large estate, where Rank had his horses trained as well as bred. Rank was a major owner under both Flat and National Hunt rules with notable wins such as the St Leger with Scottish Union.
Black Speck, a bay gelding, was foaled in 1933 by Black Watch out of Little Mark by Friar's Marcus and in seven seasons ran forty times. He won two races as a two year old including the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, won three times as a four year old in 1937 and five times in 1938 including the Newbury Summer Cup and the Liverpool Autumn Cup, in addition to being third in the Ebor Handicap and fourth in the Cesarewitch. He evidently enjoyed Liverpool, winning again in the Spring Cup of 1939 and 1940. He was a winner again in 1941, making a total of fourteen wins.
Southern Hero, a bay gelding, was foaled in 1925 by Bachelor's Jap, out of Torpedo by Speed. He was a notable steeplechaser whose successes included winning the Scottish Grand National three times, the last occasion when aged fourteen, carrying 12st. 3lbs. He also beat the legendary Golden Miller in a race at Hurst Park when that five times winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup was at the height of his powers.
Knight's Armour, a chestnut gelding, was foaled in 1935 by Sir Cosmo, out of Fario by Salmon Trout and like the above two horses, he was also bred by James Rank. As a two year old, he won six races. At three, he won three of his four starts, including the Fern Hill Stakes at Royal Ascot. In the course of his career, he ran thirty six times and had wins at Ayr, Derby, Beverley, Royal Ascot, Newmarket, Doncaster and Liverpool.