John Frederick Herring Snr. 1795-1865

This fine work was painted in 1845, the same year that Herring received the honour of being appointed Animal Painter to H.R.H. the Duchess of Kent.  The composition is sophisticated and elegant, and is a marked departure from his famous series of Derby and St Leger winners which won him such praise as a horse painter in the early stages of his career.  Herring clearly felt the need to appeal to a broader base of horse and sporting enthusiast, and from his exhibits at both the Royal Academy and the British Institution it is clear that he was keen to diversify his subject matter.  At the Royal Academy in 1845 he exhibted Favourites (no.670) and at the British Institution he exhibited Tranquillity (no.501).  This move was to be followed in the years to come with a strong empahsis on farmyard scenes and genre compositions.