John Ferneley, Snr.

Sale: Christie's, London, June 5, 1998, lot 23, illustrated

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This painting has been fairly recently restored and could be hung in its current state. The canvas has an old glue lining which nicely stabilizes the surface. The paint layer seems to have been fairly recently restored and although the paint layer may be slightly dirty yet not in any way that robs the painting of its depth, and the picture should be hung as is. The early retouches that have been applied seem to address cracking to the paint layer, which is presumably the result of the artist changing his mind. Behind the rear of the horse in the background, for instance, there are some cracks which have been retouched. Between the rear hooves, around the front hooves and around the nose of the horse and the dog there are some restorations, all of which address cracking to the paint layer. Elsewhere in the picture there does not appear to be any restoration of note and while the glazes are very slightly broken in the wall above the horse, for the most part the condition is very good and we recommend the condition.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

John E. Ferneley built his career on paintings of racing and foxhunting, showcasing great horses in each genre. His interest in capturing the physical forms of thoroughbreds and hunters also drew him to the quieter stable scenes, such as the present work, where he could feature these impressive animals at rest. In A Bay Hunter with a Poodle in a Stable Ferneley depicts a well-turned out hunter and a marked black-and-white standard poodle. The diminutive dog stands on its hind legs to greet the hunter with a kiss, the large velvety, muscular physique of the horse providing a visual foil to the tiny curly-haired body of the poodle. A charmingly humorous interaction, the light-hearted scene reveals the playful side of this esteemed artist.