About this lot
Description
Follower of John Boultbee
Portrait of the hunter Weasel in a wooded landscape, circa 1805
inscribed with the horse's lineage and biography (on a pamphlet attached to the reverse)
oil on canvas
58.5 x 68.5cm
Weasel was a brown colt by Son of Herod bred in 1790 from the famous Harpur Crewe stud at Calke Abbey in Derbyshire. He ran once at Derby on 15th August 1793 when he bolted and never ran again. He was sold at Tattersalls in November 1795 and thereafter used as a hunter.
The painting is executed in oil on a linen support which has been lined. There are minor deformations to the canvas but overall it has good tension and is in plane. The thinly applied paint layers are stable but have suffered from wear in the past. Areas of overpaint have been applied to cover wear and are reasonably well matched to the original. The varnish is semi-glossy and even with a light layer of surface dirt present. Framed 73.5 x 84cm
The pamphlet on the reverse states:
“Weasel
He was bred by Sir Henry Harpur in the year 1790 - / His Dam was got by Snap, Her Dam by (Black ?), her grand Dam by / Old (Cade?), her great grand Dam by Old Partner, her great great / grand Dam by Bay Bolton, which …. was the Dam of the Duke / of Bolton’s Merry Andrew, and full sister to Lord Godolphin’s White / foot and Wryfoot, her great great great grand Dam by Darley / Arabian (Sire is the Devonshire Childers) great great great great / grand Dam by the Byerley Turk, great great great great great / grand Dam by (Place’s?) White Turk great great great great great great grand Dam by the Tripoli Barb out of a natural Barb horse. / This horse was sold at Tattersalls (sale?) on Monday 2nd Nov.r 1795 / His Sire Sir Henry Harpur’s Son of Herod. He was got by (Th…?) Herod / Dam by Snap which bred the two (Sharks?), Granddam by the ….. / Warwickshire (Wags?) Dam by Malborough, Brother to Babraham / and out of a natural Barb horse.
Weasel was trained by Sir Henry Harpur and run once / at Derby when he bolted. He was afterwards taken out of training / and sold to the (Bros.?) Tho.s (Grosley?) who used him for years as a / Hunter and afterwards gave him to his relation E. (Croyall?) in / November 1797 who kept him till his Death. His qualification / and …… as a Hunter are so well known in Warwickshire / and Leicestershire that they……………..’ / This portrait was painted by (Lawrence?) in 1805 / and considered an excellent …..
Weasel ….is very ……………..14th March 1821.”
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