Art and horses

[g***@gmail.com]

Off Topic maybe: In the early 1970's the artist Bryan Organ painted
"The Jockey: [name] On a Horse" as a large oil portrait. I came across a 3x3ft reproduction from the Pallas Gallery about 30 years ago and bought it on the spot --- a terrific picture, somewhat modern in line and style, though the jockey's head is barely 2 inches in size.

Anyways -- a friend from County Sligo, whose brother is a horseman, and who himself had worked at a local racetrack, came to visit. He walked in and before even closing the door behind him, and from ten feet away, said "Hey, that's Lester Piggott."

Which it was and is: The long fella himself. The painter had created Piggott's minuscule face with barely five lines, which in photos really are there, but it was the way he sat that my friend recognized. Unmistakable, to him at least.

Bryan Organ has painted quite a few royal and 'important' portraits, but Lester Piggott on "Laurentian Hills" was owned by Elton John before his own financial difficulties. I love it, and I don't even follow the gee-gees.

Does anyone have a favourite horse or jockey portrait?

[fred]

I live in Cambridge, so Newmarket is just up the road. The local
printer had been given the job of producing some nice Newmarket scenes
by Neil Cawthorne (???) to become signed prints. Of course they run
off a "few extras", one of which I have over the fireplace.

I also have a print of the very common "We Three Kings" by SL Crawford
(Dessie, Arkle, Red Rum).

Post by g***@gmail.com
Off Topic maybe: In the early 1970's the artist Bryan Organ painted
"The Jockey: [name] On a Horse" as a large oil portrait. I came across a 3x3ft reproduction from the Pallas Gallery about 30 years ago and bought it on the spot --- a terrific picture, somewhat modern in line and style, though the jockey's head is barely 2 inches in size.
Anyways -- a friend from County Sligo, whose brother is a horseman, and who himself had worked at a local racetrack, came to visit. He walked in and before even closing the door behind him, and from ten feet away, said "Hey, that's Lester Piggott."
Which it was and is: The long fella himself. The painter had created Piggott's minuscule face with barely five lines, which in photos really are there, but it was the way he sat that my friend recognized. Unmistakable, to him at least.
Bryan Organ has painted quite a few royal and 'important' portraits, but Lester Piggott on "Laurentian Hills" was owned by Elton John before his own financial difficulties. I love it, and I don't even follow the gee-gees.
Does anyone have a favourite horse or jockey portrait?

[g***@gmail.com]

Post by fred
I live in Cambridge, so Newmarket is just up the road. The local
printer had been given the job of producing some nice Newmarket scenes
by Neil Cawthorne (???) to become signed prints. Of course they run
off a "few extras", one of which I have over the fireplace.
I also have a print of the very common "We Three Kings" by SL Crawford
(Dessie, Arkle, Red Rum).

Thanks Fred. Sorry I deleted my original post after a day or two, because this group looks fairly dormant. I will look up Neil Cawthorne.

I grew up admiring a repro of a painting of Sir Gordon Richards, at the house of some neighbours. Loading Image...

I'm searching for online images of the Bryan Organ painting I posted about, but it seems to have escaped Google's attention.