About this lot

Description

signed lower left "H Hall" oil on canvas (Dimensions: 36 x 49 cm)

(36 x 49 cm)

Footnote: Provenance: Moulton Grange, Pitsford, Northamptonshire The present painting depicts one of the best races of the 19th Century. Both horses were winners of the Derby and St Leger and neither horse had ever been beaten. Voltigeur belonged to the Marquis of Zetland (white, red spots and scarlet cap) and The Dutchman to Lord Eglinton (tartan, yellow sleeves and cap). The general view was that the four year old, The Flying Dutchman, was the better horse, given that Voltigeur had run a dead heat for the St Leger only two days before, and had to then race again with Russborough later that afternoon. However, by repute, Marlow, the jockey on The Dutchman, had drunk too much before the race and rode his horse foolishly by trying to run Voltigeur into the ground by setting a furious pace. In the end, Voltigeur, ridden by Flatman, won by half a length. No-one was satisfied that they really knew which horse was best and the owners agreed to match them again at York the following May. The Dutchman, now giving 8.5 lbs, won by a length after the betting between them had been even. We are grateful to David Oldrey for his assistance with the catalogue entry.

Condition report: Oil on canvas which is unlined. There is a small puncture to the canvas in the upper right corner, The canvas tension is slack which has led to stretcher bar marks forming. Debris is trapped between the lower stretcher bar and canvas causing deformations. There are numerous scratches and small losses to the paint layer caused by impact, but overall the painting is stable. The varnish is dull and yellowed. The frame has losses to the moulding along the lower edge

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