- 39
Sir Alfred James Munnings, P.R.A., R.W.S.
Description
- The Lead Horse of the Royal Carriage
- signed l.l.: A.J. MUNNINGS
- oil on canvas
- 51 by 61cm., 20 by 24in.
Provenance
Frost & Reed
Richard Green
From whom purchased by the father of the present owner
Thence by descent
Condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
"Ascot. The Ascot Procession coming up the course from the Golden gates is a beautiful sight - it is unique, traditional, English. In 1925, it was my privilege to make a picture for Queen Mary of the procession crossing the Park."
-Sir Alfred Munnings, The Second Burst, 1951, p.268
In 1925 Munnings' second wife, Violet, returned from Rotten Row to their newly acquired flat in Chelsea having met with Sir Frederick Ponsonby, keeper of the Privy Purse. Queen Mary had requested, via Ponsonby, that Munnings paint the Royal Procession crossing Windsor park to Ascot racecourse. As Munnings himself described it,"here was the chance of a lifetime" (op. cit.). With the event just a week away Munnings was granted unfettered access to the Royal Horses. Each morning a Daimler with the Royal insignia would transport the artist and his wife to Windsor castle where they would witness the horses being harnessed and mounted by outriders and postilions. Once the procession was ready for departure Munnings would be driven to a vantage point of his choice in the park. The finished work is a glorious depiction of the Royal procession making its way serenely through the sun dappled park, flanked by ancient oak trees with the castle on the horizon.
"For me the glorious part of this procession were the colours of the Royal livery worn by the postilions - too magnificent to describe" (op. cit. p.269).
Munnings had an exceptional ability not only to paint an event, but also to evoke its atmosphere; this ability was undoubtedly due to the artist submerging himself in all aspects of the subject. The present work is one of the many paintings, studies and sketches Munnings undertook prior to completing the final commission. The postilion holding the lead horses is captured in a moment of brief relaxation prior to departure; this gives rise to a sense of expectation and excitement, a technique used by the artist in his magnificent series of 'Start' paintings. The composition is strikingly similar to An Ascot Postilion (see Lionel Lindsay, Pictures of Horse and English Life, 1927) although the livery in the present work suggests a postilion of a carriage other than that carrying Queen Mary herself.
This work will be included in Lorian Peralta-Ramos' forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Sir Alfred Munnings' work.