{"product_id":"enm-2260-english-school-bay-horse-oil-painting","title":"Antique Horse Head Oil Painting in Gilt Frame, Circa 1910","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA bay horse in profile, bridled and looking off to the right, with the bit and noseband picked out in crisp white highlights against a plain brown ground. It's a close head study in the English sporting tradition, the kind painted of animals their owners and trainers actually knew. Unsigned, which is usual for portraits of this type. The blue-grey cloth over the neck carries the best of the brushwork, and the swept gilt frame with shell corners suits it well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Artist | Unidentified\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Signature | None. No signature, initials, or inscription on the face or reverse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Medium | Oil on canvas\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Subject | Portrait of a bay horse in bridle, head and neck, in profile\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Origin | English, likely\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Age | Circa 1910\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Canvas Size | 11.5 in. W x 9.25 in. H\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Frame Size | 19.25 in. W x 17 in. H\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Frame | Swept rococo revival frame in composition gesso with a worn gilt surface, shell and acanthus corners, and trailing floral sprays. A period-style frame, not confirmed as original to the painting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]School or Movement | English Sporting Art. A long British tradition of painting horses, hounds, and the people who kept them, running from the 18th century well into the 20th. Owners commissioned portraits of favorite animals, and many were painted by competent regional and amateur hands who never signed them. The best of them show real attention to anatomy and tack.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Support | Canvas on a keyed wooden stretcher, reverse sealed with paper tape\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[condition]\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe painting shows antique condition consistent with age. The canvas weave is visible through the paint, with fine craquelure across the surface. The close-up photographs show no tears, punctures, or visible paint loss on the face. The raised white highlights on the bridle and neck cloth carry the usual fine cracking. The reverse is sealed with paper tape, so I have not determined whether the canvas has been relined, and I am dating the painting on style and construction rather than on reverse labels or marks. I have not described varnish or retouching beyond what the photographs show.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe frame has honest wear and damage that is shown in the photographs. A section of molding on the left side, through the scroll and floral spray, has a clean break with the layer beneath the gilt exposed, and that section is loose and will be reattached with adhesive. A second break runs along the lower rail, where a length of the raised outer molding has lifted and split, with a jagged edge and splintered fibers visible. There are further hairline cracks in the lower corner scrollwork and scattered chips to the gesso and gilding around the corners and along the edges, with a red-orange ground showing through where the gilt has worn. The gilt surface is rubbed and darkened throughout. The frame is structurally sound for hanging but should be handled with care and would benefit from professional repair.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003ePlease review all photographs closely, as they form part of this description.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Austyn Marie Design","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67636982546710,"sku":"ENM-2260","price":845.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0896\/4623\/5926\/files\/October_2026-12067.jpg?v=1791315035","url":"https:\/\/austynmariedesign.com\/products\/enm-2260-english-school-bay-horse-oil-painting","provider":"Austyn Marie Design","version":"1.0","type":"link"}