The Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Walter M. Jeffords

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Lot 6
  • 6

* John Wootton

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Description

  • John Wootton
  • Victorious, the Property of the Rt. Hon. Earl of Portmore
  • oil on canvas
  • 39 1/2 by 49 3/4 in.
  • 100.3 by 126.4 cm
titled, signed, and inscribed Victorious/ The Earl of Portmore's/ Horse/ J. Wootton/ Fecit lower left

Provenance

Philip Ettinger, Liverpool, Lancs
E.J. Rousuck, New York
Henry L. Straus
Sold, The Celebrated Henry L. Straus Collection of British Sporting Paintings, Parke-Bernet Galleries, Inc., November 8, 1950, lot 56 (as dated 1736)

Literature

J. Bowles, Collection of the Most Famous Running Horses,1735
F. Harrison, Portraits of English Turf Horses Before Stubbs, a Trail List, part I

Catalogue Note

Victorious was a dappled grey colt bred by Mr. Wilkinson of Yorkshire in 1722 by Ruffler out of a mare by Hutton’s Grey Barb. This picture celebrates the horse’s win in a 300 guineas match at Newmarket on April 29, 1728 against the Duke of Bridgwater’s General. At this time Victorious was owned by Lord Milsington, whose younger brother Mr. Collier survived him to succeed to the title of the Earl of Portmore upon the death of their father. Shortly after the Newmarket win Victorious was sold to the 5th Duke of Hamilton where he continued his race career, before returning to the ownership of the Portmore family in the early 1730s.

This picture is closely related to the famous and enormous Wootton composition of Victorious in the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven.