James Ward, R.A.

Commissioned by Charles William Vane-Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry (1778-1854);
By descent until bought by Peter L. Villa, New York, in 1987; 
Sold by him, New York, Sotheby's, 9th June 1989, lot 54 (bt. by the present owner)

New York, The Artis Group, Fine Sporting Paintings, 1st December 1988 - 20th January 1989

C. Reginald Grundy, James Ward, R.A., London 1909, p. 45, no. 358;
O. Beckett, The Life and Works of James Ward, Lewes 1995, p. 194

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in good condition with no apparent extant damage or loss of paint. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals a discoloured varnish overall and evidence of several campaigns of old but effective retouching. The horse is for the most part untouched, though there are two small areas of retouching to the forward section of the main body, and small minor scattered flecks of retouching to the peripheries, predominantly on the legs and tail. There is retouching to an area of shadow in the grass below the horse's body, lower centre, and in the lower left hand corner. There is also scattered minor retouching in the sky overall. FRAME Held in a carved and gilded wooden frame. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@sothebys.com, or Emmeline Hallmark on 44 (0)207 293 5407, or at emmeline.hallmark@sothebys.com.
"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."

Painted in 1831 this magnificent equestrian portrait was commissioned by Charles William Vane-Stewart, 3^rd Marquess of Londonderry (1778-1854). Better known as 'fighting Charlie', The Times declared in 1854 'there never was a braver soldier in the British army'. Originally educated at Eton, where he narrowly escaped drowning in an attempt to save the life of his schoolfellow Lord Waldegrave, Londonderry was commissioned into the army at the age of sixteen, promoted Lieutenant-Colonel of the 5^th Dragoons by the age of eighteen and in 1803, at the age of only twenty five, was appointed aide-de-camp to George III. With the outbreak of the Peninsula War Londonderry was sent to Portugal with Sir John Moore, and in 1809 was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General, serving as Adjutant-General under Arthur Wellesley, later 1^st Duke of Wellington. Promoted several times he was active throughout the campaigns of 1810 and 1811, and served with distinction at Porto and Talavera. A spirited and immensely courageous cavalry commander, it is possible that this portrait of a favourite Arab stallion was his charger during the Napoleonic campaigns.