James Lynwood Palmer (1868–1941)Known as "Lynwood Palmer", for example his portrait of ''Golden Corn'' signed and dated 'Lynwood Palmer/1922' (lower left), per Christie's catalogue description, lot 51, Christie's
June 27, 2012, Londo /ref> was an English painter who specialised in painting race-horses, his characteristic style showing them as nervous and highly-strung, often depicted within a background of a dramatic landscape. His success as a leading
equestrian portrait
An equestrian portrait is a portrait that shows the subject on horseback. Equestrian portraits suggest a high-status sitter, who in many cases was a monarch or other member of the nobility, and the portraits can also carry a suggestion of chivalry ...
painter of the first half of the twentieth century is represented by around eight hundred paintings that were commissioned by clients,Fountain, Robert & Kennedy, Neil, ''Lynwood Palmer, 1868–1941, Equestrian Artist, Whip and Horseman,'' Palette press, UK 2009
almost exclusively from private patrons, who included:
William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland
William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland, (28 December 1857 – 26 April 1943), known as William Cavendish-Bentinck until 1879, was a British landowner, courtier, and Conservative politician. He notably ser ...
(1857–1943) (notably ''The Duke of Portland's stallions at
Welbeck
Welbeck is a village in Nottinghamshire, England, slightly to the south-west of Worksop. The village population is included in the civil parish of Holbeck.
Welbeck became a coal-mining centre in 1912 and has a famous stately home, Welbeck Ab ...
Stud'' (1900),
Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick
Frances Evelyn "Daisy" Greville, Countess of Warwick (''née'' Maynard; 10 December 1861 – 26 July 1938) was a British socialite and philanthropist. Although embedded in late- Victorian British high society, she was also a campaigning sociali ...
(1861–1938) and King
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936.
Born duri ...
(1865–1936). He rarely exhibited his work to the public.An exhibition of his work was held at the Carlton Gallery, London, in 1898
Origins
He was born in 1868 at
Market Rasen
Market Rasen ( ) is a town and civil parish within the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The River Rase runs through it east to west, approximately north-east from Lincoln, east from Gainsborough, 14 miles (23 km) west of Louth ...
in Lincolnshire, the third son and the youngest of eight children of George Thomas Palmer (1836–1908) and Anna Frances Blair. His father, schooled in Bath, graduate of
Peterhouse, Cambridge
Peterhouse is the oldest constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England, founded in 1284 by Hugh de Balsham, Bishop of Ely. Today, Peterhouse has 254 undergraduates, 116 full-time graduate students and 54 fellows. It is quite ...
,Alumni Cantabrigienses: A Biographical List of All Known Students ..., Volume 2 edited by John Venn was a career clergyman. Specifically he was vicar of
Linwood Linwood may refer to:
Places
Many of the place names for Linwood come from the presence of linden trees. Australia
*Linwood, South Australia
* Linnwood, Guildford, 11-35 Byron Road, Guildford, New South Wales
Canada
* Linwood, Ontario
* Linwood, ...
, Lincolnshire from 1861 to 1869,Thus in 1863 noted as a member of the Lincoln Diocesan Architectural Society an urban parish priest, then honorary canon of
Rochester Cathedral
Rochester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an English church of Norman architecture in Rochester, Kent.
The church is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rochester in the Church of England and the s ...
(1890 to 1908).''Rasen Horse Artist, Market Rasen Mail, 27 October 2006' /ref> His older brother Charles Jasper was also an ordained minister.
Lynwood Palmer's childhood was spent in what within 15 years would officially be made inner parts of the
County of London
The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government A ...
, where his father took the living (and thus in this era also priest-in-charge role) at St James' Church, Norlands, then from 1875 St Mary's, Newington. He was educated at
King's College School
King's College School, also known as Wimbledon, KCS, King's and KCS Wimbledon, is a public school in Wimbledon, southwest London, England. The school was founded in 1829 by King George IV, as the junior department of King's College London and ...
, and was destined by his father for a career in Law or in the
Foreign Office
Foreign may refer to:
Government
* Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries
* Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries
** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government
** Foreign office and foreign minister
* Unit ...
. Palmer was not interested in such a course preferring horses and art at which he showed aptitude.
Early career
In 1884, aged 17, Palmer left school without his parents blessing and emigrated to Canada, where he worked with horses on cattle ranches, as a
hansom cab
The hansom cab is a kind of horse-drawn carriage designed and patented in 1834 by Joseph Hansom, an architect from York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, ...
master and show jumper. His involvement in horse shows in Toronto, and from 1892 in New York provided him with contacts and developed his skill in sketching horses. According to Lyllyan Baldwin (1933)The author was Palmer's secretary.
: ''"The first public success in his artistic career was perhaps that which came through the illustrations of an American catalogue of a sale of horses. The drawings received great praise and resulted in a number of commissions"''.
Palmer spent some years in the 1890s supplementing his artistic income in employment as a cab master. At this time Palmer showed great interest in carriage driving which led to commissions from
Alfred Vanderbilt
Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Sr. (October 20, 1877 – May 7, 1915) was a wealthy American businessman, and a member of the Vanderbilt family. A sportsman, he participated in and pioneered a number of related endeavors. He died in the sinking of ...
and Ambrose Clark and an increasing number of commissions for private clients and periodicals that included ''The American Carriage Monthly'' (1893) Although he had no formal training he developed an affinity for drawing and painting horses of all types: hunting, carriage, or race horses. He remained in North America for 11 years and found patrons who admired his style of painting and bought his works, including
Marshall Field
Marshall Field (August 18, 1834January 16, 1906) was an American entrepreneur and the founder of Marshall Field and Company, the Chicago-based department stores. His business was renowned for its then-exceptional level of quality and customer ...
I (1834–1906), the American entrepreneur, prominent racehorse owner and founder of
Marshall Field and Company
Marshall Field & Company (commonly known as Marshall Field's) was an upscale department store in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in the 19th century, it grew to become a large chain before Macy's, Inc acquired it in 2005. Its eponymous founder, Mar ...
, the Chicago-based department stores.
In 1895 Palmer returned to Europe with a nucleus of work to his credit, mostly from anglophile Americans A short stay followed with a relative in Co. Offaly where he garnered new contacts and future patrons that included T. K. Laidlaw before he and his wife Lydia returned to England, where they eventually settled in 1911 at the 16th Century White House at Sutton in the parish of
Heston
Heston is a suburban area and part of the Hounslow district in the London Borough of Hounslow. The residential settlement covers a slightly smaller area than its predecessor farming village, 10.8 miles (17.4 km) west south-west of Charing ...
,
Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...
. A confident, well-dressed man he was at home with all types of horses and self-possessed enough to move smoothly between his aristocratic clientele. He prospered attributing his success to clients that included: the
Earl of Derby
Earl of Derby ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the end ...
,
Lord Lonsdale
Earl of Lonsdale is a title that has been created twice in British history, firstly in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1784 (becoming extinct in 1802), and then in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1807, both times for members of the Low ...
, the
Duke of Portland
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...
and most importantly
Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...
for whom he painted his Derby Stakes winner Minoru in 1909. It established him as a major painter of racehorses, a relatively small field that included his friend
Alfred Munnings
Sir Alfred James Munnings, (8 October 1878 – 17 July 1959) was known as one of England's finest painters of horses, and as an outspoken critic of Modernism. Engaged by Lord Beaverbrook's Canadian War Memorials Fund, he earned several prest ...
Raoul Millais
Hesketh Raoul Lejarderay Millais (1901–1999), usually known as Raoul or 'Liony' Millais was a portrait painter, equestrian artist and sportsman. He was the grandson of Sir John Everett Millais and the son of John Guille Millais and from them ...
. Palmer created a niche for himself and his style and subject matter rarely deviated for the remainder of his career.
Knowledge of Horses
Palmer had a deserved reputation for his ability to treat lame horses, no doubt learnt as a result of his training as a cab master. In 1911 the
Home Secretary
The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all national ...
,
Reginald Mckenna
Reginald McKenna (6 July 1863 – 6 September 1943) was a British banker and Liberal politician. His first Cabinet post under Henry Campbell-Bannerman was as President of the Board of Education, after which he served as First Lord of the Admiral ...
, concerned at the injury rate of police horses on city cobbles asked Palmer to provide advice on the treatment of horses hooves. Subsequently, some trainers would seek Palmer's advice. In his latter years he frequented
Hounslow Barracks
Cavalry Barracks is a former British Army installation located north of Hounslow Heath in Hounslow, west London. Hounslow was one of 40 new barracks established around the country in the wake of the French Revolution, to guard against the dual t ...
, the regimental mess of the 17/21
Lancers
A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by Persia, India, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the M ...
where his advice was sought and given.
Palmer was also a judge at the International Horse Show at
Olympia
The name Olympia may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film
* ''Olympia'' (1938 film), by Leni Riefenstahl, documenting the Berlin-hosted Olympic Games
* ''Olympia'' (1998 film), about a Mexican soap opera star who pursues a career as an athlet ...
in 1921 but had been involved in its organisation since its inception in 1907. He designed a series of publicity postcards in pre-war years.
As an asthmatic Palmer was deemed not fit for military service during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, offering his skills for the service of the nation by managing a 750-horse stud for the
Royal Mail
, kw, Postya Riel, ga, An Post Ríoga
, logo = Royal Mail.svg
, logo_size = 250px
, type = Public limited company
, traded_as =
, foundation =
, founder = Henry VIII
, location = London, England, UK
, key_people = * Keith Williams ...
.
Racehorse paintings
Palmer's notoriety as an equine artist is largely based on his paintings of racehorses for an aristocratic, wealthy clientele that were united by wealth and interests. Palmer and Munnings became the preferred choice of this set when it came to painting their equine champions. Most of the commissions were for racehorses on the flat although Palmer painted seven winners of
The Grand National
The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap st ...
.
Palmer painted winners of all the English and Irish classics and many Group winners beside. These included champion horses such as: the Earl Of Derby's
Swynford
Swynford (January 1907 – 18 May 1928) was a British Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse. Bred at the Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby, 16th Lord Derby's stud in Lincolnshire, England he was sired by John O'Gaunt (horse), John O'Gaunt, a so ...
, winner of the
Eclipse Stakes
The Eclipse Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown P ...
and the
St Leger
The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a d ...
1,000 Guineas
The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 ...
in 1923 and Hyperion, painted in 1933 after the colt won both the
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
and St Leger,
Aboyeur
Aboyeur (1910–circa 1917) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1912 to 1913 he ran seven times and won two races. In June 1913 Aboyeur won The Derby at record odds of 100/1. He was awarded the race ...
Royal Lancer
Royal Lancer (1919 – after 1937) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He showed little promise as a juvenile when he won one minor race from six attempts. In the following year he made steady improvement, winning three handicap r ...
, owned by Earl Lonsdale and winner of the
St Leger
The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a d ...
in 1922,
Lord Woolavington
James Buchanan, 1st Baron Woolavington, (16 August 1849 – 9 August 1935), known as Sir James Buchanan, Bt, from 1920 to 1922, was a British businessman, philanthropist, and racehorse owner and breeder.
Early life
Buchanan was born in Brockv ...
's Derby winner
Coronach
A coronach (also written coranich, corrinoch, coranach, cronach, etc.) is the Scottish Gaelic equivalent of the Goll, being the third part of a round of keening, the traditional improvised singing at a death, wake or funeral in the Highlands of S ...
, the undefeated
The Tetrarch
The Tetrarch (1911–1935) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He was undefeated in a racing career of seven starts and was voted the best British-trained two-year-old of the 20th century according to the National Horse ...
owned by Sir
Hugh McCalmont
Major-General Sir Hugh McCalmont (9 February 1845 – 2 May 1924) was an Anglo-Irish soldier, politician, and horseman. He was elected as an Ulster Unionist Member of Parliament for North Antrim in 1895, resigning in 1899 by becoming Steward o ...
and voted by the British
National Horseracing Museum
Palace House is the home of the National Horse Racing Museum in the remaining part of Charles II's racing palace in Newmarket, Suffolk, England. It is home to the National Horse Racing Museum, the British Sporting Art Trust and Retraining of Rac ...
as the best English-trained two-year-old of the 20th century,
Gainsborough Gainsborough or Gainsboro may refer to:
Places
* Gainsborough, Ipswich, Suffolk, England
** Gainsborough Ward, Ipswich
* Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, a town in England
** Gainsborough (UK Parliament constituency)
* Gainsborough, New South Wales, ...
, who in 1918 won the
English Triple Crown
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, often shortened to Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for Thoroughbreds, often restricted to three-year-olds. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplis ...
and the
Ascot Gold Cup
The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles 3 furlongs and 210 yards (4,014 ...
for Lady Douglas, the first woman to own a classics winner and the filly
Golden Corn
Golden Corn (1919 - 1935), was an English-bred, throughbred filly horse who was one of the top rated two-year-olds of 1921. Her wins in 1921 included The Middle Park Stakes. She stayed in training for three seasons, adding the July Cup in 1923. ...
, winner of the
July Cup
The July Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres ...
in 1923 and owned by
Marshall Field III
Marshall Field III (September 28, 1893 – November 8, 1956) was an American investment banker, publisher, racehorse owner/breeder, philanthropist, grandson of businessman Marshall Field, heir to the Marshall Field department store fortune, a ...
grandson of Palmer's early patron. The style is always the same with non-specific, featureless backgrounds so that the eye always focuses on the horse.
Carriage driving paintings
Palmer had a passion for carriage driving and was frequently seen driving his "beautifully maintained" coach and
Four-in-hand
The four-in-hand knot is a method of tying a necktie. It is also known as a simple knot or schoolboy knot, due to its simplicity and style. Some reports state that carriage drivers tied their reins with a four-in-hand knot, while others claim ...
. Some of his earliest paintings are of carriage driving in the United States and Canada. One of Palmer's first major commissions for
August Belmont II
August Belmont Jr. (February 18, 1853 – December 10, 1924) was an American financier. He financed the construction of the original New York City subway (1900–1904) and for many years headed the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, which ran ...
, now at The Schwarz Gallery in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
features a four-in-hand horse carriage being driven along Ocean Drive,
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...
. Another major client Alfred Vanderbilt had moved to England by 1904 where he purchased fifty trotting horses, together with a team of carrige greys and two carriages which he based near Palmer at
Kingsbury Kingsbury may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Kingsbury, London, a district of northwest London in the borough of Brent
** Kingsbury tube station, London Underground station
* Kingsbury, Warwickshire, a village and civil parish in Warwickshi ...
. Palmer painted at least four commissions for Vanderbilt before the latter returned to the United States in 1914. Other carriage-themed paintings for Ambrose Clark and Lady Warwick were commissioned. One of his most important patrons of the interwar years was
Lord Woolavington
James Buchanan, 1st Baron Woolavington, (16 August 1849 – 9 August 1935), known as Sir James Buchanan, Bt, from 1920 to 1922, was a British businessman, philanthropist, and racehorse owner and breeder.
Early life
Buchanan was born in Brockv ...
, a collector of English sporting paintings for whom Palmer produced two, of carriage horses (and several racehorses besides).
Technique
Lynwood Palmer possessed a retentive visual memory for the appearance of a horse. Invariably he made sketches from life, out of doors, if possible. He worked quickly and quietly trying to capture the character of the horse. In 1927 he explained his work as follows:
:"The secret of painting race-horses lies in quickness. Their movements are so alert, they are so full of nervous energy, that the artist has to have a hand like a streak of lightning to catch the pose while it lasts".
His paintings of race horses, nearly all on commission, are oil-on-canvas. The background is usually non-specific and the horse is centre stage. Palmer's knowledge of the anatomy of a horse was based on practical knowledge but he had studied
George Stubbs
George Stubbs (25 August 1724 – 10 July 1806) was an English painter, best known for his paintings of horses. Self-trained, Stubbs learnt his skills independently from other great artists of the 18th century such as Reynolds or Gainsborough ...
''Anatomy of a Horse'' in detail according to one of his pupils. His use of colour was limited and he did not shirk applying colours directly to the canvas to produce the iridescent sheen which are a feature of his paintings. Palmer's figures are often one-dimensional.
Algernon Talmage
Algernon Mayow Talmage (23 February 1871– 14 September 1939) was a British Impressionist painter.
Life and Education
Algernon Talmage was born in Fifield, Oxfordshire, the son of Rev. John Mayow Talmage, a clergyman of Cornish stoc ...
,Admitted to the Royal Academy of Arts (R.A.) an impressionist painter of the period, did some of the figures in these paintings.
In 1925 Lynwood Palmer was painted by Talmage seated astride a carriage. The painting is in private hands.
He primarily strove to make a true likeness of the horse against a harmonious background. He did not show any interest in wider fields staying firmly in the English tradition of racehorse artists: Harry Hall,
John Frederick Herring Sr.
John Frederick Herring Sr. (12 September 1795 – 23 September 1865), also known as John Frederick Herring I, was a Painting, painter, sign maker and coachman in Victorian era, Victorian England.John Frederick Herring Jr. Once his style was established it did not change.
His success as an artist was largely derived through his ability to infuse into his expert draughtsmanship his thorough and first-hand understanding of the characteristics of the animals he was painting.
Personal life and character
He was "always elegantly dressed, and with impeccable manners, he was hugely popular, especially, it was rumoured, with the wives of some of his patrons". His appearance was that of a sporting gentlemen of an earlier epoch. Palmer was quiet, gentlemanly, thoughtful, amusing and respectful. He received a serious injury when kicked by one of his equine subjects close to the heart, which affected him considerably in his later years.
In 1895 whilst living in the United States he met and married Lydia Frohawk of Dereham, Norfolk, the daughter of a local landowner. Her brother was
Frederick William Frohawk
Frederick William Frohawk (16 July 1861 – 10 December 1946) was an England, English zoological artist and lepidopterist.
Frohawk was the author of ''Natural History of British Butterflies'' (1914), ''The Complete Book of British Butterflies' ...
(1861–1946), an established zoological artist and
lepidopterist
Lepidopterology ()) is a branch of entomology concerning the scientific study of moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies. Someone who studies in this field is a lepidopterist or, archaically, an aurelian.
Origins
Post-Renaissance, t ...
. The marriage lasted until his death at Heston on 22 June 1941, his wife dying in 1942.
In his will Palmer left personal possessions including his riding crop and glasses to his housekeeper Mary Cox, which were sold at auction by Sotheby's on 1 November 2006. His long-standing friend Hugh McCausland was left the bulk of his free estate of £5412.6
().https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk Calendar of Probates and Administrations Palmer's studio became a dance hall and his house, "The White House", 28, Upper Sutton Lane, noted in the Victoria County History of Middlesex to be "timber-framed and contains 16th-century features, including an original roof", later "cased with brickwork" and given "several additions and alterations"- was taken from its subsequent owners by the council under
compulsory purchase order
A compulsory purchase order (CPO; , ) is a legal function in the United Kingdom and Ireland that allows certain bodies to obtain land or property without the consent of the owner. It may be enforced if a proposed development is considered one for p ...
, then destroyed in an arson attack which conveniently cleared the way for construction of the residential Palmer Close, which stands on the site today.
Further reading
*Fountain, Robert & Kennedy, Neil, ''Lynwood Palmer, 1868–1941, Equestrian Artist, Whip and Horseman'' Palette press, UK 2009
*Baldwin, Lyllyan, ''Lynwood Palmer – Painter of Horses'',
Apollo Magazine
''Apollo'' is an English-language monthly magazine covering the visual arts of all periods from antiquity to the present day.
History and profile
''Apollo'' was founded in 1925, in London. The contemporary ''Apollo'' features a mixture of revie ...