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Victorian Fox Hunt Sporting Oil By Thomas Smythe
Large Signed 19th-Century British Equestrian Painting With Riders And Hounds
Thomas Smythe (1825-1906)
Highlights
Large Victorian sporting oil painting by Thomas Smythe
Signed T Smythe lower left
Oil on canvas
Dynamic fox hunting scene with horses, riders and hounds
Principal scarlet-coated huntsman riding a white horse
Further mounted figures receding through the countryside
Atmospheric British rural landscape
Impressive decorative swept gilt frame
Documented Wilkinson's Auctioneers provenance
Auction 0094, Lot 586, 9 October 2022
Original auction documentation retained
Approximately 85 x 120 cm framed
Curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution supplied
Introduction
A magnificent large Victorian sporting oil painting by the Suffolk artist Thomas Smythe (1825-1906), depicting an animated fox hunt charging across open countryside.
The composition centres upon a huntsman dressed in a vivid scarlet riding coat and white breeches, mounted upon a powerful white horse captured at full gallop. Immediately behind, a second gentleman in a dark riding coat and tall black hat follows upon a richly coloured brown horse.
Further riders continue through the middle distance, while a pack of hounds can be seen running across the open countryside to the left. Additional mounted figures recede towards the distant tree line.
Above the action stretches a broad blue-grey sky, its softly developed clouds providing an atmospheric counterpoint to the movement below.
Signed T Smythe lower left and presented within an impressive decorative swept gilt frame, this substantial painting has considerable presence at approximately 120 cm wide.
Catalogue Details
Artist: Thomas Smythe
Dates: 1825-1906
Medium: Oil on canvas
Period: 19th century, Victorian
Signature: Signed T Smythe lower left
Subject: Fox hunting, equestrian sporting landscape
Canvas Dimensions: Approximately 71 x 107 cm
Framed Dimensions: Approximately 85 x 120 cm
Frame Depth: Approximately 5 cm
Frame: Decorative swept gilt frame
Catalogue Note
Thomas Smythe's abilities as both an animal and landscape painter are particularly evident in this substantial sporting composition.
The principal white horse provides an immediate focal point. Its extended stride and lowered head convey the momentum of the hunt, while the scarlet coat of its rider creates a brilliant chromatic accent against the more restrained landscape.
Immediately behind, the dark brown horse and elegantly dressed rider provide a strong visual counterpoint. The composition then opens into the surrounding countryside, with increasingly distant riders creating depth and leading the eye towards the wooded horizon.
The hounds to the left introduce another line of movement and reinforce the narrative of the hunt.
Smythe's broad treatment of the sky and countryside gives the work considerably more scope than a conventional equestrian portrait. Horse, rider, hounds and landscape combine to create an atmospheric narrative of Victorian sporting life.
The Artist
Thomas Smythe (1825-1906) was a British landscape and animal painter closely associated with Suffolk.
Born in Ipswich, he established a career painting landscapes, animals, rustic subjects and scenes of rural life.
Smythe exhibited seventeen works with the Society of British Artists and was an active member of the Ipswich Fine Art Club between 1878 and 1903.
His subjects encompassed horses and other animals, agricultural life, rural landscapes and sporting scenes, often combining close observation of animals with atmospheric countryside settings.
He was the younger brother of fellow painter Edward Robert Smythe and belonged to a notable Suffolk artistic family.
Provenance
Private collection.
Wilkinson's Auctioneers Ltd, Auction 0094, Private Collections, Lot 586, 9 October 2022.
The retained original Wilkinson's auction invoice, No. 202, records the work as:
Thomas Smythe (1825-1906). An Oil on Canvas: Hunting Scene, signed lower left, 28 x 42 inches (71 x 107 cm), in a decorative swept gilt frame, 33 1/2 x 47 1/4 inches (85 x 120 cm).
Original auction documentation retained.
Subsequently curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD.
Dimensions
Canvas:
Height: Approximately 71 cm
Width: Approximately 107 cm
Framed:
Height: Approximately 85 cm
Width: Approximately 120 cm
Depth: Approximately 5 cm
All measurements are approximate.
Condition Report
Offered in fine used antique condition.
The canvas has been relined.
The painted surface displays areas of foxing or staining, surface scuffs, localised paint loss and scattered historic retouching or paint restoration.
The decorative swept gilt frame displays general age-related wear, including scuffs, chips, abrasions and localised losses to the decorative finish consistent with age, handling and previous display.
The painting remains visually impressive and highly decorative.
Please study all photographs carefully as they form an integral part of the condition report and description.
Worldwide Shipping
Worldwide shipping is available.
Due to the substantial framed dimensions, the painting will be professionally packed and appropriate insured transportation arranged according to destination.
Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution
The artwork will be supplied with a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution issued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD, recording the artwork's catalogue details, attribution, provenance as stated, and details of the sale. This document accompanies the work as part of its ongoing ownership and provenance record.
Attribution and Research
The historical observations, provenance research, attribution analysis and contextual commentary presented within this catalogue entry represent the professional opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD. They are offered in good faith as informed scholarly assessments based upon the available evidence, comparative research, published reference material and our experience within the international fine art market.
These observations should be understood as professional opinions rather than definitive statements of fact or guarantees of authorship, attribution, date, origin, provenance or historical interpretation. As with all historic works of art, future documentary discoveries, technical examination, conservation analysis or advances in academic research may refine, expand or revise current interpretations.
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Specialising in carefully curated British and European fine art, antiques and historic works of art.
Every artwork is professionally researched and catalogued using comparative scholarship, published reference material and more than two decades of experience within the international fine art market. We are committed to offering collectors works of artistic and historical merit accompanied by transparent provenance research, detailed catalogue descriptions and professional, client-focused service.
Additional photographs and further information are available upon request.
- Period: 19th century
-
- Price: £15,000.00
- €17,498 Euro
- $20,411 US Dollar
- Location: London
-
- Dimensions: H: 85cm (33.46in)
- W: 120cm (47.24in)
- D: 4.5cm (1.77in)
