John Ferneley Jr., Victorian Equestrian Sporting, 1859, Oil on Canvas

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A fine Victorian sporting oil painting by John Ferneley Jr. (1815–1862), signed and dated 1859. Executed in oil on canvas, … Read more A fine Victorian sporting oil painting by John Ferneley Jr. (1815–1862), signed and dated 1859. Executed in oil on canvas, the work belongs to the celebrated British tradition of 19th-century equestrian and sporting painting for which the Ferneley family became particularly well known. John Ferneley Jr. specialised in horses, hunting subjects and larger sporting compositions, following in the footsteps of his father, the distinguished sporting artist John Ferneley Sr. Dating to just three years before the artist's death, this 1859 painting represents a mature example of Ferneley Jr.'s work. His paintings are particularly appreciated for their careful observation of horses and their connection with the sporting and hunting culture of Victorian Britain. The painting is signed and dated 1859 at the lower right and is presented in a substantial decorative frame. About John Ferneley Jr. John Ferneley Jr. (1815–1862) was born in Melton Mowbray into one of the best-known families associated with British sporting painting. He was the eldest son of John Ferneley Sr., one of the leading equestrian painters of the early 19th century, and the brother of artist Claude Lorraine Ferneley. He is believed to have received his early artistic training within his father's studio and may have assisted with work connected to the celebrated series illustrating Count Sándor's hunting exploits in Leicestershire. Ferneley Jr. subsequently worked in several important northern English centres, including Manchester and York. Like his father, horses and sporting life formed the principal subjects of his work, although he was also comfortable tackling ambitious hunting and military compositions. The work of father and son has occasionally been confused, particularly because of similarities in subject and technique. John Jr. is known to have used variations of the Ferneley signature, sometimes incorporating "Jnr" or "York". He died in 1862. Details Artist: John Ferneley Jr. (1815–1862) Date: 1859 Medium: Oil on canvas Period: Victorian / Mid-19th century Origin: England Style: British Sporting Art Signature: Signed and dated 1859, lower right Artwork dimensions: 64 × 76 cm (25 × 30 in.) Framed dimensions: 84 × 96 cm (33 × 38 in.) Size: Medium Subject: Equestrian / Sporting See less