Animal painting "English Thoroughbred bay horse" Albert Clark (1843 – 1928)

Original Animalier painting, oil on canvas depicting a horse with a dark bay coat and a white star on its forehead, of the English Thoroughbred breed.

The harness consists of a light leather bridle finished and complete with a pelham bit with double reins, typical of flat gallop racing. (Also often used in Fox Hunting). The subject is perfectly groomed, it is located inside a large masonry box with a corner feeder. There is also the blanket in heavy fabric with blue and white checks belonging to the stable of origin.

Comparing the painting with that of JF Herring “Don Antonio” the colors of the stable belong to that of MR. Ferguson, a well-known Newmarket breeder. The work is in excellent state of conservation, signed Albert Clark Sen. (Senior) at the bottom left. The frame is not present. Albert Clark, a very renowned animal painter of English origin (Middlesex), son of James Clark, began his artistic career as a self-taught artist, observing his father and deciding to specialize in the representation of equestrian subjects. In 1861 he received numerous awards and was exhibited at the Royal Academy and other London galleries.
It achieved great prestige among racehorse breeders who were among its main clients. During the Inslington Horse Show he was commissioned to portray the winning horses, the works became part of the private collections of the various Country Clubs. His typically English style is characterized by some details that we can also find in other subjects such as cows and sheep, in fact, the animals are depicted with some anatomical parts larger than realistic standards, just as the landscapes or contexts are "idealized", often enriched by accessories linked to the equestrian tradition of breeding English Thoroughbreds.
His career was particularly long and fruitful (over forty years), he managed to collaborate with the Herring family, well known in the artistic field linked to the prestigious English equestrian world. Subsequently his sons Frederick Albert Clark and William Albert Clark also joined him. In 1928 at the age of 85 he died in his home of origin, the family tradition was passed down to his children who continued in the Animalier genre. The pose of the horse is very classic and static, the painter probably created the work from life by going to the stables to study the anatomy and the setting suited to the requests of the client, generally belonging to the aristocracy of the time.

The subjects depicted were the winners of the most important competitions, the sporting career generally ended with the inclusion in the "breed" of stallions and females as broodmares.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: “The Dictionary of British Equestrian Painters” “Dictionary of British Animal Painters” , “The Dictionary of Victorian Painters” , Dictionnaire E.Benezit.