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SEQ
CHAPTER \h \r 1John
Emms, British, 1843-1912
Paintings of The Sporting
Life
February 8 - March 15, 2014
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SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1The
William Secord Gallery is pleased to present “John Emms;
Paintings of the Sporting Life,” the largest and most
comprehensive exhibition of this artist’s work. Timed to
coincide with the 138th annual Westminster Kennel
Club Dog Show, this exhibition and sale includes over 50
paintings dating from the 1860's through the 1890's when
Emms was renowned for his paintings of Foxhounds, terriers,
spaniels and other sporting breeds. Also included are
examples of his purebred dog portraits, commissioned by
wealthy dog fanciers to immortalize their famous champions
of the show bench.
Born the son of an artist near Blowfield, England, the young
Emms soon moved to London where he apprenticed with Lord
Frederick Leighton, the great academic painter. Emms soon
went on his own, however, painting images that even today
conjure up the romance and beauty of English country life.
Emms maintained studios in both London and Lyndhurst in the
New Forest area of England, a center for foxhunting and
country sports. In a time when Victorian painting was
detailed and highly finished, Emms’ paintings were
characterized by a quick and bold painterly style. He some
became known for his ability to capture the essence of a
subject with seemingly effortless applications of paint. He
quickly gained a following among the sporting gentry of the
day.
This exhibition is drawn
largely from two important private collections and includes
portraits of Foxhounds at rest and in the field. Also
included are several paintings of Clumber Spaniels, a breed
which was developed at Clumber Park by the Duke and Duchess
of Newcastle, horses, and Jack Russell Terriers, among many
others. There are also several portraits of purebred dogs:
the Princess de Montglyon’s Champion Collies, G. A. Latham’s
Dandie Dinmont Terriers and Col. C. S. Dean’s Ch. Benham
Busybody, perhaps the best known of all Manchester Terriers.
The paintings in this exhibition are all available for
purchase and all subject to prior sale.
For more
information, photos or press enquiries, please contact
Galina Zhitomirsky:
galina@dogpaintiing.com
William Secord Gallery
52 East 76 Street
New York, NY 10021
212.249.0075
www.dogpainting.com |