This late-19th-century oil painting by British artist James Blazeby (1828-1889) depicts Mr Barton’s ‘Inkerman’, a champion bay racehorse in a stable. Hailing from Norwich, Blazeby was an experienced painter of horses and cattle.
Produced in 1863, this charming depiction captures Inkerman at the pinnacle of his career, having been awarded both the Norfolk Hunt Cup and The County Stakes at Bury St Edmunds. The first was a relatively straightforward affair in which he led from the off and won “easily after clearing the dyke and fences in capital style.” While the second, the trickier County Stakes, was a closer race in which his rival ‘Farmer’ fell “twice during the last round”.
Blazeby was well-versed in horse portraiture and worked as a professional animal painter for over 30 years. His style was somewhat ‘naive’, yet he forged a solid regional career, undertaking numerous commissions for patrons across the county. His earlier works tend to portray a variety of exceedingly rectangular oversized cattle, such as ‘Prize Shorthorn Heifers’ and ‘Mr McCombie's Prize Aberdeenshire Ox’. Artists of this nature were often urged to exaggerate the dimensions of such animals with each owner keen to convey their feeding prowess.
His later horse portraits are comparable with his contemporaries in terms of composition and content, thus meeting the expectations of his eager clientele.
Little is known about his upbringing but it appears he began his career in earnest around 1850. His brother William was also an artist and the two of them worked tirelessly to support the family home following the death of their father in 1858. It appears he remained unmarried. His father was a cabinet maker.
Signed/dated in the lower right and held in a bird's-eye maple frame with plaque.
Learn more about James Blazeby in our directory.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 28” x 22½” / 71cm x 57cm
Year of creation: 1863
Labels & Inscriptions: ‘With Care’ transit label with details of provenance.
Provenance: Reginald Steed Archbould of Loughton, Essex (circa 1930s) / Private collection, UK.
Condition: Cleaned. Fine craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Old patches and historic repairs. Frame in good condition with minor age-related wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £6,800 for ‘Prize Shorthorn Heifer in a Landscape’, Oil on canvas, Bonhams, 19th Century Paintings, London, 2006 (lot 2).
Our reference: BRV1970
