JOHN FREDERICK HERRING SR. | THE LONDON-TO-EDINBURGH ROYAL MAIL COACH RACING DOWNHILL

Arthur Ackermann & Son Ltd., London

Sale: Christie's, London, November 20, 1992, lot 56

Richard Green, London

Acquired from the above 

The London-to-Edinburgh Royal Mail Coach Racing Downhill dates to the height of the “Golden Age of Coaching” in England, when coaches became the dominant form of travel throughout the country. Competition was rampant between the individual coaches, as well as with the postal service, with each vehicle looking to complete their route in the timeliest, most efficient method possible. A national network of turnpikes and inns, at which passengers could rest and get refreshment and horses could be changed, revolutionized travel across the country.

Herring began his career painting coachmen’s signs in Doncaster, but also worked as a driver, continuing on the Doncaster-Wakefield route for over two years. The artist’s experience of this hazardous, demanding and exhilarating job is exemplified in the present work, where a four-in-hand races downhill, clouds of dust rising from their hooves, with their destination, gleaming next to a river, visible in the far distance.