Mares and Foals in a landscape

Wright Barker specialised in animal painting but also produced human portraits and genre pieces in a detailed, almost Pre-Raphaelite style. His animal paintings are characterful and bold. The source of Barker's artistic training is not known. He lived in Bradford until 1885, then moved to Edwinstone near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. In 1893, he was living in nearby Ollerton, where the present work was executed. In 1901 he moved to Hampstead, then in 1915 to Harrogate, where he died in 1941. Towards the end of his life he became a picture dealer.

Barker frequently worked on large canvases and the present picture ranks amongst his finest works.