Schwanfelder was an animal painter of German ancestry but born in Leeds, where he spent most of his working life. He was made Animal Painter to George IV in 1815, presumably as a result of the success of his ‘Malcolm Arabian’ (see below).

This is one of a set three horse paintings in the collection, all signed and dated 1814: a single portrait of a racehorse, the ‘Malcolm Arabian’ (OM 1069, 400529), and a pair of slightly smaller format of unidentified or imaginary horses (OM 1070-71, 404368-9), including this picture.

A bay horse, facing to the right, with small white patches at the base of its mane, standing in a field which falls away to woods beyond, a view of a further field behind the hedgerow to the right. A tree-trunk on the left; stormy clouds.

Signed and dated: ‘C. H. Schwanfelder 1814’