John Wootton Paintings & Artwork for Sale | John Wootton Art Value Price Guide

Oct. 23, 2024
John Wootton (1686 - 1764), The Bloody-Shouldered Arabian
Est: £40,000 - £60,000
John Wootton (1686 - 1764) The Bloody-Shouldered Arabian Oil on canvas Inscribed below, 'Bred by Lord Oxford in 1755 & Sire of many famous Racers, including the Duke of Bolton's 'Sweepstakes' The Bloody-Shouldered Arabian (a.k.a. Lord Oxford's Bloody-Shouldered Arabian, Bassett's Lord Oxford Bloody-Shouldered Arabian), so-called because of the red markings on his right shoulder, was imported into England at the end of 1719 or early in 1720. It's doubtful the Bloody-Shouldered Arabian ever ran a race, but he was a popular and successful sire in Lord Oxford's stud, held in "high repute." He sired the good chestnut racehorse Sweepstakes, and through a daughter was progenitor of Lord Rockingham's Whistlejacket, made famous by Stubb's portrait. Wootton, who was the pre-eminent painter of sporting subjects in the first half of the 18th century, painted several portraits of the horse, made easily recognisable by his red marking. Property of a Lady Dimensions: (Canvas) 34 in. (H) x 50.75 in. (W) (Frame) 41 in. (H) x 58 in. (W)
Sloane Street Auctions
Jul. 06, 2023
JOHN WOOTTON (SNITTERFIELD C. 1682-1764 LONDON) The Earl of Cork and Orrery
Est: £200,000 - £300,000
JOHN WOOTTON (SNITTERFIELD C. 1682-1764 LONDON) The Earl of Cork and Orrery's horse, Nobby, held by his groom, stables adorned... oil on canvas 63 x 75 in. (160 x 190.5 cm.)
Christie's
Jul. 08, 2022
JOHN WOOTTON (SNITTERFIELD 1686-1764 LONDON) An Italianate landscape oil on
Est: £10,000 - £15,000
JOHN WOOTTON (SNITTERFIELD 1686-1764 LONDON) An Italianate landscape oil on canvas 30 x 25 in. (76.2 x 63.5 cm.)
Christie's
Dec. 08, 2021
JOHN WOOTTON (SNITTERFIELD 1682-1764 LONDON) A grey racehorse on Newmarket
Est: £30,000 - £50,000
JOHN WOOTTON (SNITTERFIELD 1682-1764 LONDON) A grey racehorse on Newmarket Heath held by a groom oil on canvas 40 ¼ x 50 ¼ in. (102.2 x 127.6 cm.)
Christie's
Oct. 19, 2021
***PLEASE NOTE DESCRIPTION SHOULD READ 'ATTRIBUTED TO JOHN WOOTTON (BRITISH 1686-1764)'*** ATTRIBUTED TO JOHN WOOTTON (BRITISH 1686-1764) A hunting party with horses, hounds and hawks in an extensive landscape Oil on canvas, 70 x 90cm
Est: €7,000 - €10,000
***PLEASE NOTE DESCRIPTION SHOULD READ 'ATTRIBUTED TO JOHN WOOTTON (BRITISH 1686-1764)'*** ATTRIBUTED TO JOHN WOOTTON (BRITISH 1686-1764) A hunting party with horses, hounds and hawks in an extensive landscape Oil on canvas, 70 x 90cm
Adam's
Apr. 21, 2021
John Wootton (British, c.1682-1764)
Est: £50,000 - £80,000
John Wootton (British, c.1682-1764) A Bay Arabian stallion being led by a groom, a hound nearby, with a rider and grey horse watering on the far right signed indistinctly lower centre left 'J W...' oil on canvas 65 x 116cm Footnote: Provenance: Acquired by Algernon Dunn Gardner (1853-1929) from Fores of Piccadilly on 18th July 1913, as of 'The Darley Arabian', Thence by descent Though much later prints after the present painting identify the horse as the Darley Arabian and show the animal as having three white socks and a white blaze, recent cleaning and conservation showed two of the socks to be overpaint and the blaze was reduced to a star and thus in the opinion of David Oldrey, to whom we are grateful for assistance with this catalogue entry, the horse cannot be the great Arab stallion, the Darley Arabian. He proposes as an alternative bloodline that of the Leedes Arabian, which was a bay with a rear left white sock as was his son, Leeds (or Leedes) and thus the present animal which from the clothes of the accompanying figures must date from at least circa 1730, or later, is probably the grandson or great-grandson of the Leeds Arabian.
Cheffins
Dec. 13, 2019
John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwickshire c. 1682-1764 London) Portrait of a gentleman, traditionally identified as William, Duke of...
Est: £20,000 - £30,000
John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwickshire c. 1682-1764 London) Portrait of a gentleman, traditionally identified as William, Duke of... oil on canvas 49 x 53 3/8 in. (124.4 x 135.6 cm.)
Christie's
Jul. 05, 2019
John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwickshire c. 1682-1764 London) A chestnut mare, traditionally identified as Mr. Charles Pelham's Brocklesby... oil on canvas 40 1/8 x 49 5/8 in. (102 x 126.1 cm.)
Est: £15,000 - £20,000
John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwickshire c. 1682-1764 London) A chestnut mare, traditionally identified as Mr. Charles Pelham's Brocklesby Betty, led by a jockey at Newmarket signed 'JWootton' (lower left) oil on canvas 40 1/8 x 49 5/8 in. (102 x 126.1 cm.)
Christie's
Jul. 06, 2017
JOHN WOOTTON | A wooded classical landscape with figures resting in the foreground and bathing in the river, a town beyond
Est: £20,000 - £30,000
oil on canvas, in a George II Kentian gilt wood frame with elaborate carved scallop shell motif
Sotheby's
Oct. 20, 2015
ATTRIBUTED TO JOHN WOOTTON | Lady O'Brien's horse with jockey up
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
oil on canvas
Sotheby's
Dec. 03, 2013
John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwickshire c. 1682-1764 London)
Est: £120,000 - £180,000
John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwickshire c.1682-1764 London) Thomas Osborne, 4th Duke of Leeds (1713-1789), on horseback, with a hunting party in an extensive wooded landscape signed and dated 'J. Wootton / fect. 1759' (lower left, on the tree) oil on canvas 60 x 84¼ in. (152.4 x 214 cm.)
Christie's
Nov. 15, 2013
WOOTTON, JOHN 1678/82 Warwickshire - 1764 London Pyramus und Thisbe. Weite Flusslandschaft im Morgenlicht mit einem antiken Tempel und der Silhouette von Babylon. Im Vordergrund Thisbe, die Ihren sterbenden Geliebten auffindet. Öl auf Leinwand.
Est: €20,000 - €30,000
WOOTTON, JOHN 1678/82 Warwickshire - 1764 London Pyramus and Thisbe. Vast river landscape in early morning light with an ancient temple and the silhouette of Babylon. In the foreground Thisbe finding her dying beloved. Oil on canvas. Relined. 165 x 203cm. Signed and dated on left of plinth: J. Wootton fec. 1760. Framed. Provenance: Private collection, Rhineland
Van Ham Kunstauktionen
Dec. 04, 2012
John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwickshire c. 1682-1764 London)
Est: £200,000 - £300,000
John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwickshire c. 1682-1764 London) A Race Meeting at Newmarket signed 'JWootton Fecit' ('JW' linked, lower right) oil on canvas 37 x 58¼ in. (94 x 148 cm.)
Christie's
Nov. 01, 2012
John Wootton (Snitterfield 1682-1764 London)
Est: £10,000 - £15,000
An extensive river landscape with figures and a wagon on a track signed and inscribed 'J. Wootton fect.' (lower left) oil on canvas 42 1/2 x 55in (108 x 139.7cm)
Bonhams
Jul. 05, 2012
ATTRIBUTED TO JOHN WOOTTON
Est: £15,000 - £20,000
SNITTERFIELD, WARWICKSHIRE CIRCA 1678 - 1764 LONDON PORTRAIT OF A GREYHOUND, CALLED POMPON inscribed and dated lower right: Pompon 1746 oil on canvas 101.5 by 127 cm.; 40 by 50 in.
Sotheby's
Jul. 05, 2012
JOHN WOOTTON
Est: £40,000 - £60,000
SNITTERFIELD, WARWICKSHIRE CIRCA 1678 - 1764 LONDON PORTRAIT OF A GENTLEMAN ON HORSEBACK, PROBABLY JAMES DOUGLAS-HAMILTON, 5TH DUKE OF HAMILTON AND 2ND DUKE OF BRANDON (1703-1743), MOUNTED ON A BAY HUNTER, WITH HIS GROOM HOLDING ANOTHER HORSE BY A CLASSICAL ARCH, AND A GREYHOUND signed, centre right: J.WOOTTON / fecit, and indistinctly inscribed on an old label, verso, which bears a wax seal stamped with the Hamilton crest oil on canvas 112 by 105.5 cm.; 44 by 41 1/2 in.
Sotheby's
Dec. 14, 2011
John Wootton (1672-1764). Hunting parties in
Est: £2,000 - £3,000
John Wootton (1672-1764). Hunting parties in classical landscapes. A pair, oil on canvas. One signed with monogram centre right. Each 34 x 30 cm (13 1/2 x 11 3/4 in) (2)
Dreweatts 1759
Dec. 07, 2011
John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwickshire c. 1682-1764 London)
Est: £40,000 - £60,000
John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwickshire c. 1682-1764 London) A grey racehorse held by a jockey, with a lad holding up a gold cup, at Newmarket signed 'JWootton' ('JW' linked, lower left, on a rock) oil on canvas 40½ x 49¾ in. (102.8 x 126.3 cm.)
Christie's
Oct. 26, 2011
John Wootton (Snitterfield 1682-1764 London) An extensive river landscape with figures and a wagon on a track 42 1/2 x 55in (108 x 139.7cm)
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
An extensive river landscape with figures and a wagon on a track signed and inscribed 'J. Wootton fect.' (lower left) oil on canvas 42 1/2 x 55in (108 x 139.7cm)
Bonhams
Oct. 12, 2011
John Wootton (British, 1682-1764)
Est: $70,000 - $100,000
John Wootton (British, 1682-1764) 'Brockelsby Betty' with Jockey up at Newmarket, before her Celebrated Match with Astridge Ball, 7 October 1718. signed with initials 'J.W.' (center right on post) and inscribed 'Brockelsby Bety. __' (center left) oil on canvas 40 x 50 in. (101.6 x 127 cm.)
Christie's
Jul. 05, 2011
John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwicks. c. 1682-1764 London)
Est: £150,000 - £200,000
John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwicks. c. 1682-1764 London) Lord Harley's Bloody Shouldered Arabian signed and dated 'JWootton Fecit. 1723' ('JW' linked, lower left) and with inscriptions 'Lord Harley's Bloody Shoulder'd Arabian J.υn Wootton.' (lower centre) and inscribed 'L.υd Harleys Bloody sh.υd Arabian.' (centre right) oil on canvas 40½ x 48½ in. (102.9 x 123.2 cm.)
Christie's
Apr. 14, 2011
John Wootton (Snitterfield c. 1682-1764 London)
Est: £25,000 - £35,000
John Wootton (Snitterfield c. 1682-1764 London) John Shafto of Bavington Hall, and Whitworth Hall, Northumberland, holding a hunter, in a landscape, with a groom and stable beyond signed 'JWootton' (lower right, on the rock) oil on canvas 24 3/8 x 29¾ in. (62 x 75.5 cm.)
Christie's
Jan. 26, 2011
John Wootton (Snitterfield 1682-1764 London)
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
John Wootton (Snitterfield 1682-1764 London) A Greyhound in a landscape signed 'J. Wootton. Fecit' (lower right) oil on canvas 34¼ x 52 in. (87 x 132.1 cm.)
Christie's
Dec. 16, 2010
John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwicks c. 1682-1764 London)
Est: £5,000 - £8,000
John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwicks c. 1682-1764 London) An Italianate landscape at sunset, with figures and fishermen in the foreground oil on canvas 19 x 26 in. (48.9 x 66 cm.)
Christie's
Jun. 03, 2010
JOHN WOOTTON
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
JOHN WOOTTON 1672 - 1765 A DARK CHESTNUT ARABIAN MARE, GIVEN BY KING LOUIX XIV TO LORD PETRE HELD BY A GROOM IN A LANDSCAPE inscribed ARABIAN MARE given/ by LOUIS 14th to/ LORD PETRE. (upper right) oil on canvas 40 1/2 by 49 1/2 in. 103. by 125.8 cm
Sotheby's
Apr. 23, 2010
JOHN WOOTTON
Est: $80,000 - $120,000
JOHN WOOTTON BRITISH 1672 - 1765 A DARK CHESTNUT ARABIAN MARE, GIVEN BY KING LOUIX XIV TO LORD PETRE HELD BY A GROOM IN A LANDSCAPE inscribed ARABIAN MARE given/ by LOUIS 14th to/ LORD PETRE. (upper right) oil on canvas 40 1/2 by 49 1/2 in. 103. by 125.8 cm
Sotheby's
Dec. 09, 2009
John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwicks, c. 1682-1764 London)
Est: £7,000 - £10,000
John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwicks, c. 1682-1764 London) An extensive river landscape, with cavaliers embarking on a ferry, sailing boats anchored at the shore beyond oil on canvas 20 1/8 x 27 in. (51.1 x 68.6 cm.)
Christie's
Nov. 17, 2009
Circle of John Wootton (Snitterfield 1682-1764 London) 41.5 x 36cm
Est: £400 - £600
A gentleman with bay and white horses before a church Oil on canvas 41.5 x 36cm
Bonhams
Jul. 08, 2009
John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwicks. c . 1682-1764 London)
Est: £25,000 - £35,000
John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwicks. c. 1682-1764 London) A dark bay racehorse held by a jockey, with a couple of hounds, by an archway, in a landscape inscribed 'Ditchley.' (lower right) oil on canvas 40 x 50 in. (101.6 x 127 cm.)
Christie's
Dec. 04, 2008
John Wootton , 1686-1765 Portrait of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond and Lennox and later Duke of Aubigny (1701-1750) oil on canvas, held in a British Baroque carved and gilded frame
Est: £150,000 - £250,000
with a bay hunter held by a groom with the Charlton hunt hounds signed and dated l.l.; JWootton/ Pinxit/ 1729 oil on canvas, held in a British Baroque carved and gilded frame
Sotheby's
Dec. 03, 2008
John Wootton (Snitterfield circa 1682-1764 London) An Italianate landscape at dusk
Est: £3,000 - £5,000
An Italianate landscape at dusk with a drover and his cattle amongst the ruins of a temple oil on canvas 39.2 x 52.1cm (15 7/16 x 20 1/2in).
Bonhams
Nov. 20, 2008
John Wootton (Snitterfield c. 1682-1764 London)
Est: £80,000 - £120,000
John Wootton (Snitterfield c. 1682-1764 London) The Leedes Arabian, being led by a groom, in a landscape signed 'JWootton Pinxt' ('JW' linked, lower centre) oil on canvas 41 x 49¾ in. (104½ x 126½ cm.)
Christie's
May. 23, 2008
A hound in a landscape, a hunt beyond
Est: £15,000 - £20,000
Circle of John Wootton (C.1682-1764) A hound in a landscape, a hunt beyond oil on canvas 30 x 35¾ in. (76.2 x 90.8 cm.) in a mid-18th century white-painted and parcel-gilt pierced foliate frame, redecorated, losses to carved foliage
Christie's
May. 22, 2008
Wanton , a bay racehorse with jockey up, at Newmarket
Est: £60,000 - £90,000
John Wootton (Snitterfield c. 1682-1764 London) Wanton, a bay racehorse with jockey up, at Newmarket signed 'J. Wootton pinxit' and with inscription and date 'WANTON, _ He was got by Bay Bolton. Ano. 1719.' (lower right) oil on canvas 40 x 50 in. (101.6 x 127 cm.) in a fine carved and gilded frame
Christie's
Nov. 28, 2007
Unkenneling: a study for the painting in the Wootton Hall at Althorp
Est: $50,000 - $80,000
John Wootton (British, c. 1683-1764) Unkenneling: a study for the painting in the Wootton Hall at Althorp oil on canvas 39 x 49¼ in. (99 x 125 cm.) in a contemporary oakleaf frame
Christie's
Jul. 06, 2007
The Leedes Arabian, being led by a groom, in a landscape
Est: £60,000 - £80,000
John Wootton (Snitterfield 1682 -1764 London) The Leedes Arabian, being led by a groom, in a landscape signed 'J.Wootton pinxt' (lower centre-left) oil on canvas 41¼ x 49¾ in. (104.7 x 126.3 cm.)
Christie's
Jul. 06, 2007
Mr Charles Wilson's Chestnut Arabian, held by a groom, beside a classical building
Est: £40,000 - £60,000
John Wootton (Snitterfield 1682-1764 London) Mr Charles Wilson's Chestnut Arabian, held by a groom, beside a classical building oil on canvas 40¼ x 49¾ in. (102.3 x 126.4 cm.)
Christie's
May. 15, 2007
A break in the woods; and The quarry in sight
Est: £2,000 - £4,000
Circle of John Wootton (1686-1765) A break in the woods; and The quarry in sight oil on canvas 20½ x 28 in. (52.1 x 71.1 cm.) a pair (2)
Christie's
Mar. 28, 2007
Sheep in a landscape
Est: £1,500 - £2,000
Circle of John Wootton (1678-1764) Sheep in a landscape oil on canvas 40 x 50 in. (101.6 x 127 cm.)
Christie's
Dec. 20, 2006
After John Wootton (BRITISH, 1686-1765)
Est: €8,000 - €10,000
The Warren Hill, Newmarket initialed 'J.W. pinx' (lower right) oil on canvas 40 x 50 in. (101.6 x 127 cm.)
Christie's
Dec. 19, 2006
Circle of John Wootton (1678-1764)
Est: £3,000 - £5,000
Sheep in a landscape oil on canvas 40 x 50 in. (101.6 x 127 cm.)
Christie's
Nov. 30, 2006
JOHN WOOTTON
Est: $300,000 - $500,000
PROPERTY FROM THE WILLIAM M. HACKMAN TRUST BRITISH, 1686-1765 THE PRINCE OF WALES AT A RACE MEETING ON NEWMARKET HEATH measurements 37 by 58 1/2 in. alternate measurements 94 by 148.6 cm signed J. Wootton/ Fecit (lower right) oil on canvas PROVENANCE By descent in the family of the Duke of Norfolk Oscar Johnson Leggatt's Gallery, London, by 1957 Mr Chistopher Bibby, in 1960 EXHIBITED London, Rutland Gallery, Paintings by John Wootton, circa 1677-1765, November 13-December 13, 1964, no. 1, illustrated LITERATURE Illustrated London News, November 9, 1963, vol. 243, p. 779 (as collection of the Duke of Norfolk) NOTE James I established Newmarket in 1605 as the earliest center for racing in England, and cemented the royal connection by building a hunting lodge there. The first race on the heath took place between horses owned by Lord Salisbury and the Marquess of Buckingham in 1622, the prize being one hundred pounds, a princely sum at the time. Charles I officially opened Newmarket Racecourse in 1636, and the royal patronage of the track has continued to the present day, in part due to its relative proximity to the royal residence at Sandringham. The lure of royal and aristocratic patronage drew John Wootton to Newmarket as early as 1714, where his depictions of the great gatherings at the heath brought him success as well as commissions. The present work depicts the Prince of Wales, seen mounted near the lower right corner of the composition, accompanied by a group of courtiers and liveried attendants, observing the start of the race. The work can be dated to 1716, the year in which another version of this subject was painted for Edward Harley (recorded in a bill dated November 10, 1716). Another version of the work was known from the Collection of Lord Woolavington. The early races at Newmarket were customarily quite long: at least four miles and as long as eight. The stamina required emphasized impeccable breeding, and the celebrated horses of the day came to dominate the proceedings. The series of heats and eliminations that were typical elevated the importance of the rubbing house where horses were prepared for the next leg. By the close of the race, mounted spectators such as those seen in the present work would ride alongside the throng, encouraging participants. For the next fifty years, Wootton, who has been described as the "Father of British Horse Portraiture," was considered the aristocracy's favorite sporting artist. Wootton enjoyed the patronage of Queen Anne, King George I and his son George II (seen as the Prince of Wales in the present painting) and the Dukes of Beaufort, Devonshire, Richmond and Marlborough; The Earl of Egmont of Althrop even referred to him in his diary as "the best horse painter in England" (Sally Mitchell, The Dictionary of British Equestrian Artists, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 1984, p. 469). Wootton studied under the Flemish battle painter, Jan Wyck, transforming his crowded, panoramic battle scenes into equally hard-fought battles of the Turf. Beyond these panoramic landscapes, inspired both by Jan Wyck and Jan Siberechts, Wootton is also renowned for his near life-size depictions of the famous racehorses of his time, including the three illustrious Arabian progenitors of today's thoroughbred lines, the Byerly Turk, the Godolphin Arabian and the Darley Arabian.
Sotheby's
Nov. 30, 2006
JOHN WOOTTON
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, PENNSYLVANIA BRITISH, 1686-1765 A HORSE AND HIS GROOM measurements 13 by 10 in. alternate measurements 33 by 25.4 cm signed J Wootton (lower left) oil on canvas PROVENANCE Purchased by the present owner's father in London (by 1950)
Sotheby's
Jun. 07, 2006
FOLLOWER OF JOHN WOOTTON 1683-1764
Est: £8,000 - £12,000
DUCK SHOOTING; FOX HUNTING DUCK SHOOTING; FOX HUNTING measurements note each 70 by 90 cm., 27½ by 35½ in. a pair, both oil on canvas Quantity: 2
Sotheby's
Jun. 06, 2006
Follower of John Wootton
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
Marc Anthony Leading Chalkstone on the Beacon Course with signature 'JWootton' (lower right); inscribed 'MARC ANTHONY leading CHALKSTONE on the Beacon Course' (lower center) oil on canvas 40 x 50 in. (101.6 x 127 cm.)
Christie's
May. 24, 2006
Attributed to John Wootton (1686-1765)
Est: £4,000 - £6,000
Peasants with sheep and cattle in an extensive river landscape oil on canvas 36 x 51 in. (91.5 x 129.5 cm.)
Christie's
May. 19, 2006
John Wootton (c.1683-1764)
Est: £25,000 - £35,000
Portrait of Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough (1706-1758), and Elizabeth, Duchess of Marlborough, with a hunting party, in a capriccio landscape, including a mounted urn and a statue of the Farnese Flora signed 'JWootton/Fecit' (on masonry, lower right) oil on canvas 22 1/2 x 27 1/4 in. (57.2 x 69.2 cm.)
Christie's
Apr. 25, 2006
JOHN WOOTTON
Est: $400,000 - $600,000
PROPERTY FROM A NEW YORK PRIVATE COLLECTION BRITISH, 1686-1765 LORD ORRERY'S HORSE, NOBBY, HELD BY HIS GROOM 52 by 74 in. 132 by 188 cm signed J Wootton and dated 1752 (lower right); inscribed The Earl of Orrery's Horse Called Nobby / Drawn from the Life / 1752 (on the reverse) oil on canvas PROVENANCE Thomas Agnew and Sons, London Sale: Christie's, London, March 19, 1954, lot 93 Cevat Collection Eyre and Hobhouse Ltd., London Sale: Sotheby's Parke Bernet, New York, January 21, 1982, lot 66, illustrated Hyde Park Antiques LITERATURE Sir Ellis Waterhouse, The Dictionary of British 18th Century Painters, 1981, p. 423, illustrated NOTE This majestic portrait of Nobby contains all the hallmarks of a successful commission by England's premier painter of thoroughbred horses in the mid-eighteenth century, John Wootton. Nobby was owned by John Boyle, the Fifth Earl of Orrery, who also assumed the title of the Earl of Cork in 1753. The Boyles were an illustrious family, cousins to the Earls of Suffolk, Earls of Middlesex and Earls of Devonshire. Lord John's father was Charles, the Earl of Orrery, and perhaps the culmination of his long political career occurred in 1713, when he served as Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht, which ended the war of Spanish Succession. Lord John's other known passion, aside from his horses, was for literature. A friend to the main literary luminaries of the day, Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope and Samuel Johnson, Lord John published a translation of the letters of Pliny the Younger in 1751, among other works. A distinguished patron such as John, Earl of Cork was the ideal client for John Wootton. The artist's ability to convey the grandeur of his equine subjects' noble bearing corresponded with their owner's sense of familial importance. In fact, as almost all thoroughbred horses in England descended from just four Arabians, Wootton's portrayal of Nobby highlights the importance of pure bloodlines, whether among the great families of the British Aristocracy or in the thoroughbred horses they delighted in owning and riding. This idea is underscored here by the presence of the prominent coat of arms seen above the pediment at upper right. The coat of arms consists of a heraldic representation of the first marriage of John Boyle, 5th Earl of Orrery, to Henrietta, daughter of George Hamilton, Earl of Orkney. A coat of arms in this form would have been in use from 1731 (when Lord John succeeded to the earldom) until his second marriage in 1738. The shield represents the marital arms of Lord John and his first wife in combination: those of the Boyle family appear on the left-hand side, and on the right are the arms of the Hamiltons, Earls of Orkney. The supporters similarly combine the heraldry of the two families, the one on the left being a lion, the dexter supporter used by the Earl of Orrery, and the stag, the sinister supporter of the Earls of Orkney. Supporters were often combined this way in the 18th century, when a peer married the daughter of another peer. The Earls' arms would only have been marshalled in this fashion up to 1738. This might suggest that the present work, painted some years later, depicts an actual architectural feature of the building represented, rather than a fanciful display of arms. If it were otherwise, one would expect to see a marital coat of arms incorporating the arms of the Earl's second wife. John Wootton's soft Italianate landscapes for backgrounds, painted in the manner of Poussin or Claude, were a large part of what made his large canvases so chic and sought after, though they were derided as too traditional by contemporaries such as John Constable. Wootton's style dictated that on the whole, the horse should be placed at the composition's center, his beautiful lines shown to best advantage. Wootton's other trademark was to magnify the horses' stature. As explained by John Fairley: "the literal truth, particularly the size of the horses, may have been exaggerated by Wootton, though the boy grooms who make the horses seem colossi were often of miniscule stature; there are records of grooms riding at 3 ½ stone. But the purpose of Wootton's portraits was not to give a precise anatomical record, but rather to convey the triumphal glory of these early champions...so that they seem to have stepped down from Mount Olympus" (John Fairley, Great Racehorses in Art, Oxford, 1894, p. 48). Nobby certainly takes on the aspect of a champion in the present work, and the bright colors worn by his groom serve to highlight his fiery eyes, upturned, alert ears, and the lustrous pure black color of his coat.
Sotheby's