James Seymour – pair of racehorse portraits 1755

James Seymour — Pair of framed portraits of famous racehorses with groomsmen, 1755

The Portraiture of Lamprey by James Seymour, 1755 The Portraiture of Babraham by James Seymour, 1755

Dimensions of framed portraits: Height 558 mm, width 589 mm

Restrikes of engraved plate with hand colour, from a series of twelve portraits of celebrated racehorses with their groomsmen, by Irish mezzotint engraver Richard Houston (1721-1775) after James Seymour (1702-1752) with ornamental borders and coat of arms. This series of 12 mezzotint plates commissioned by Thomas Spencer (1700-1763) were sold by Spencer and Robert Clee at Panton St. Leicester Fields in March 1755 and March and April 1756. Six were after works by the late James Seymour and six after Spencer. The full series included: Childers, Old Partner, Sedbury, Dormouse, Crab, Lamprey, White-Nose, Cullen Arabian, Babraham, Bay Bolton, Bald Charlotte and Chestnut Arabian.

Beneath image: Seymour delint./ Houston fecit. Bottom: Publish'd 10th March 1755 as the Act directs. Caption beneath title gives the details of the horse's pedigree About James Seymour (1702–1752) James Seymour (1702–1752) was an English painter celebrated for his equestrian art. Born in London, he was largely self-taught, influenced by his father—an amateur artist, art dealer, and member of the Virtuosi Club of St. Luke. Seymour’s twin passions were art and horses; he frequented racetracks, eventually painting, owning, breeding, and racing horses. His work gained popularity among leading sporting families, earning him patrons such as Sir William Jolliffe and Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset. (Source: Wikipedia)