W E S T B U R Y

JOHN NOST SARTORIUS

A SADDLED BAY HUNTER WITH A FOXHOUND

Oil on canvas: 25 by 30 in. (63.5 by 76.2 cm)

Signed and dated lower right:

J.N.Sartorius pinxt 1802

Provenance:

Private American Collection

With Arthur Ackermann & Son, Ltd, from whom acquired by the previous owner in July, 1983.

John Nost Sartorius (1759-1828) was one of the most prolific British sporting artists of the Georgian period.  His work has never been without admiration, and during his lifetime he profited from the patronage of many, including the Prince of Wales.  In his painting style JN remained unmoved by Romanticism, which had lured many of his contemporaries, and instead, worked in the manner of sporting artists a generation before him.  Principally his clients sought a memento of a cherished horse or place.  It was unnecessary that he try to capture more than a likeness of his subjects. 

This is a splendid instance of Georgian equine portraiture.  The bay horse, with his charming white star and distinctive right hind coronet marking, commands his audience in an instant.  The horse is shown in an impressive ground-covering trot, suggesting he is not short of the valour and stamina needed for the hunt field.  JN has emphasised the horse’s sanguinity by depicting the mouth open, grinding the full-cheek snaffle in anticipation of the forthcoming adventure.  Though the lack of rider is not extraordinary for this type of picture it is interesting to see the stirrup undressed and swinging waywardly.

The earthy palette, characteristic of the artist, complements the natural environment.  The composition is well-balanced, and exemplifies a type of elegance in equine portraiture associated with the period.  There is a rootedness to the foxhound to the left and the stable to the right, which tempers the animation of the horse; permitting one to appreciate his puissance and freedom without a sense of unrest or disorder. 

 

jns

 

 

 

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