Francis Sartorius (1734 – 5 March 1804) was an English painter of horses, horse-racing and hunting scenes, of the celebrated

Sartorius family The Sartorius family of the 18th–19th centuries included several generations of English artists—of German origin—who mainly specialised in painting horses, horse-racing and hunting scenes: *Jacob Christopher Sartorius ( fl. 1694–1737), ...

of artists. Also known as Francis Sartorius the Elder to distinguish him from his grandson Francis Sartorius Jr. ("the Younger").

Life and work

Francis was the son and pupil of

John Sartorius John Sartorius (1700? – 1780?) was an Anglo-German animal painter, the first of four generations of the celebrated Sartorius family of artists. He should not be confused with his great-grandson John Francis Sartorius. Life and work Sartor ...

. His first important work was a portrait of the racehorse "Antinous" (foaled 1758), for the

Duke of Grafton Duke of Grafton is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1675 by Charles II of England for Henry FitzRoy, his second illegitimate son by the Duchess of Cleveland. The most notable duke of Grafton was Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke ...

. Other horse-portraits were "Herod" (foaled 1758) for the Duke of Cumberland; "Snap" for a Mr. Latham; "Cardinal Ruff" for a Mr. Shafto; and "Bay Malton" for the Marquis of Rockingham. Several of these portraits were engraved by John June (fl. 1740-70), and published between 1760 and 1770. Sartorius was a prolific and popular painter, and it is said that he produced more portraits of the famous race-horse "

Eclipse An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ce ...

" during the zenith of his fame than all other contemporary artists together (Bailys Magazine, January 1897, p. 23). He was a contributor to "

The Sporting Magazine ''The Sporting Magazine'' (1793–1870) was the first English sporting periodical to devote itself to every type of sport. Its subtitle was "Monthly Calendar of the Transactions of the Turf, the Chase and Every Other Diversion Interesting to the ...

" and in vols. ii-vi. (1793–1795) are four excellent engravings from his works, including the famous racehorse "Waxey" (sired by the notable thoroughbred "

Pot-8-Os Potoooooooo or variations of Pot-8-Os (1773 – November 1800) was an 18th-century thoroughbred racehorse who won over 30 races and defeated some of the greatest racehorses of his time. He went on to be an important Stud (animal), sire, whose le ...

"). Francis contributed 38 works for exhibition at various

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

galleries including twelve to the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

, 7 to the Society of Artists and 20 to the

Free Society of Artists The Society of Artists of Great Britain was founded in London in May 1761 by an association of artists in order to provide a venue for the public exhibition of recent work by living artists, such as was having success in the long-established ...

. He lived in London during the years he was exhibiting, finally residing in

Soho Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develop ...

, London at 17 Gerrard Street. He died on 5 March 1804, in his 70th year.Gilbey, 1900, p129. He married five times, his fifth wife predeceasing him before him in January 1804. His son

John Nost Sartorius John Nost Sartorius (1759–1828), was an English painter of horses, horse-racing and hunting scenes. He is considered the best-known and prolific of the Sartorius family of artists. Life and work John Nost Sartorius was the son of horse-arti ...

(1759–1828) was also a notable horse artist, the most distinguished of the family.

References

External links

*
Paintings by F. Sartorius
(Art renewal Center)
prints of works by Sartorius
(Grosvenor prints)
A Black Horse with Two Dogs
(1793 -

Tate Gallery Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...

, London) {{DEFAULTSORT:Sartorius, Francis Equine artists 18th-century English painters English male painters 19th-century English painters 1734 births 1804 deaths British people of German descent 19th-century English male artists 18th-century English male artists

Life and work

References

Further reading

External links