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Lot Essay
This work is a preliminary study for the Portrait of H.M. The Queen's racehorse Aureole. The final portrait depicts Queen Elizabeth, the trainer, Captain Cecil Boyd-Rochfort and Sir Humphrey Trafford standing with Aureole in the paddock for the 1953 Derby. The 1953 Derby took place just before Elizabeth's coronation so there were great hopes for the horse that day. Unfortunately, Aureole finished second behind Pinzo. Aureole, by Hyperion was bred by King George VI, and proved to be very successful as a four-year old and became champion sire in 1960 and again in 1961.
The work was painted at Boyd-Rochfort's stables at Newmarket and because it was an immensely important commission Munnings made a number of studies. An unsigned, unfinished sketch of the horse (oil on panel 22 x 30) is in possession of H.M, the Queen and was exhibited Munnings' retrospective at the Royal Academy 1956 number 222. A similar signed study (21 x 29) was sold at Sothebys London June 19, 1974. The 1955 Russell-Cotes and the 1956 Wolverhampton exhibition catalogues list an un-illustrated picture titled Sketch of H.M. The Queen's Horse 'Aureole'.
Munnings had painted various members of the Royal family after his successful 1919 exhibition of wartime paintings, beginning when H.R.H. Princess Alice commissioned a portrait of her husband, Major-General, The Earl of Athlone in his military uniform. The six foot canvas of H.R.H. The Prince of Wales on Forest Witch was painted in 1920. However Munnings' commission of H.M. The Queen, the reigning monarch must have been his most prestigious and perhaps daunting commission so studies of such an eminent person were essential.
This work illustrates Munnings' skill at capturing an image with fluid but exact brushstrokes done under brilliant sunshine. The faint outline to the left of The Queen is the trainer and the black shadow behind The Queen is Sir Humphrey holding his white racecard.
We are grateful to Lorian Peralta Ramos for her help in preparing this catalogue entry. The picture will be included in her forthcoming Catalogue Raisonné of the work of Sir Alfred Munnings.
The work was painted at Boyd-Rochfort's stables at Newmarket and because it was an immensely important commission Munnings made a number of studies. An unsigned, unfinished sketch of the horse (oil on panel 22 x 30) is in possession of H.M, the Queen and was exhibited Munnings' retrospective at the Royal Academy 1956 number 222. A similar signed study (21 x 29) was sold at Sothebys London June 19, 1974. The 1955 Russell-Cotes and the 1956 Wolverhampton exhibition catalogues list an un-illustrated picture titled Sketch of H.M. The Queen's Horse 'Aureole'.
Munnings had painted various members of the Royal family after his successful 1919 exhibition of wartime paintings, beginning when H.R.H. Princess Alice commissioned a portrait of her husband, Major-General, The Earl of Athlone in his military uniform. The six foot canvas of H.R.H. The Prince of Wales on Forest Witch was painted in 1920. However Munnings' commission of H.M. The Queen, the reigning monarch must have been his most prestigious and perhaps daunting commission so studies of such an eminent person were essential.
This work illustrates Munnings' skill at capturing an image with fluid but exact brushstrokes done under brilliant sunshine. The faint outline to the left of The Queen is the trainer and the black shadow behind The Queen is Sir Humphrey holding his white racecard.
We are grateful to Lorian Peralta Ramos for her help in preparing this catalogue entry. The picture will be included in her forthcoming Catalogue Raisonné of the work of Sir Alfred Munnings.