Edwin Cooper A pair of equestrian paintings: a chestnut charger...
The Property of the Marquess of Anglesey from the Private Apartment at Plas Newydd
Edwin Cooper
British, 1785–1833
A pair of equestrian paintings: a chestnut charger and a white charger, both draped in the regimental horse furniture of the 7th Light Dragoons, accompanied by officers
a pair, one oil on canvas and the other oil on canvas laid on board
one unframed: 64.9 x 77.4 cm.; 25½ x 30½ in.
framed: 72.8 x 85.6 cm.; 28⅝ x 33¾ in.
the other unframed: 65 x 77.4 cm.; 25⅝ x 30½ in.
framed: 72.6 x 85.6 cm.; 28⅝ x 33¾ in.
(2)
Condition Report:
The canvas depicting the chestnut charger is unlined. The other canvas, depicting the white charger, has been laid down on panel, which is uncradled. The reverse of the panel is inscribed and dated with the details of an old campaign of restoration and cleaning in 1969–1970. The paint surfaces of both pictures are clean and their varnishes are clear and even. Faint marks from old stretcher bars can be noticed in the first work, depicting the chestnut horse, though these are not too distracting. No paint losses can be observed in this picture, while a couple can be noted along the left margin of the other one, though these have been filled in. Retouchings across both paintings can be spotted with the naked eye: in the work representing a chestnut horse, these are concentrated primarily in the sky centre left, in the grass, and on the face of the hill on the right. Interesting pentiments can be noted towards the centre of this painting: it appears that the artist changed the placement of the groom, whose old outline can be noticed above the leopard print saddle, with the old placement of his legs observable directly below. In the picture of the white charger, more retouchings are visible; these are clustered around the body of the horse and in the sky. Inspection under ultraviolet light confirms much of the above, while also revealing further retouchings. In the first work, these are primarily employed to strengthen old craquelure in the clouds and on the hill in the background. In the second picture, these can be noticed primarily in the tree on the far right and again to strengthen old craquelure, before the painting was laid down, in the background, left of centre. Overall, the paintings are both in fairly good condition. They present well and are ready to hang.
Catalogue Note:
The monogram in the corner of the schabraque draped over the chestnut charger, which reads CR, doubled and reversed with a crown above, demonstrates that these horsemen were members of the 7th Light Dragoons: the regiment of Her Majesty Queen Charlotte (1744–1818). These pictures portray the horse furniture of the regimental colonels. The white charger draped in tiger skin belonged to an officer of one of the Troop, while the horse wearing the schabraque with a leopard skin saddle cover was that of a senior Non-Commissioned Officer.
Cooper was certainly patronised by the 7th Light Dragoons: another painting by the artist, that is now in the National Army Museum, London, depicts Sergeant-Major Arthur Myers, a senior Non-Commissioned Officer from this regiment, with his charger, which is draped with a schabraque featuring the same CR monogram in exactly the same position.1 The pale blue-grey flamme (wing) that can be noted on Myers’ mirliton cap also appears on the cap of the man holding the white charger in the present pair of paintings. The National Army Museum picture, which is likewise comparable in its depiction of the background, is dated 1805, providing approximate dating for this pair.
We are grateful to Dr. Andrew Cormack for identifying these figures as members of the 7th Light Dragoons and for his assistance in the cataloguing of this lot.
1 Accession no. NAM. 2020-11-11-1-1; https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=2020-11-11-1-1. See S. Wood, '“As Gallant a Soldier as ever drew Sword” – Lieutenant and Adjutant Arthur Myers, 7th (or The Queen’s Own) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Hussars)', in Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, vol. 98, Winter 2020, pp. 337–47.
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The Property of the Marquess of Anglesey from the Private Apartment at Plas Newydd
Edwin Cooper
British, 1785–1833
A pair of equestrian paintings: a chestnut charger and a white charger, both draped in the regimental horse furniture of the 7th Light Dragoons, accompanied by officers
a pair, one oil on canvas and the other oil on canvas laid on board
one unframed: 64.9 x 77.4 cm.; 25½ x 30½ in.
framed: 72.8 x 85.6 cm.; 28⅝ x 33¾ in.
the other unframed: 65 x 77.4 cm.; 25⅝ x 30½ in.
framed: 72.6 x 85.6 cm.; 28⅝ x 33¾ in.
(2)
Condition Report:
The canvas depicting the chestnut charger is unlined. The other canvas, depicting the white charger, has been laid down on panel, which is uncradled. The reverse of the panel is inscribed and dated with the details of an old campaign of restoration and cleaning in 1969–1970. The paint surfaces of both pictures are clean and their varnishes are clear and even. Faint marks from old stretcher bars can be noticed in the first work, depicting the chestnut horse, though these are not too distracting. No paint losses can be observed in this picture, while a couple can be noted along the left margin of the other one, though these have been filled in. Retouchings across both paintings can be spotted with the naked eye: in the work representing a chestnut horse, these are concentrated primarily in the sky centre left, in the grass, and on the face of the hill on the right. Interesting pentiments can be noted towards the centre of this painting: it appears that the artist changed the placement of the groom, whose old outline can be noticed above the leopard print saddle, with the old placement of his legs observable directly below. In the picture of the white charger, more retouchings are visible; these are clustered around the body of the horse and in the sky. Inspection under ultraviolet light confirms much of the above, while also revealing further retouchings. In the first work, these are primarily employed to strengthen old craquelure in the clouds and on the hill in the background. In the second picture, these can be noticed primarily in the tree on the far right and again to strengthen old craquelure, before the painting was laid down, in the background, left of centre. Overall, the paintings are both in fairly good condition. They present well and are ready to hang.
Catalogue Note:
The monogram in the corner of the schabraque draped over the chestnut charger, which reads CR, doubled and reversed with a crown above, demonstrates that these horsemen were members of the 7th Light Dragoons: the regiment of Her Majesty Queen Charlotte (1744–1818). These pictures portray the horse furniture of the regimental colonels. The white charger draped in tiger skin belonged to an officer of one of the Troop, while the horse wearing the schabraque with a leopard skin saddle cover was that of a senior Non-Commissioned Officer.
Cooper was certainly patronised by the 7th Light Dragoons: another painting by the artist, that is now in the National Army Museum, London, depicts Sergeant-Major Arthur Myers, a senior Non-Commissioned Officer from this regiment, with his charger, which is draped with a schabraque featuring the same CR monogram in exactly the same position.1 The pale blue-grey flamme (wing) that can be noted on Myers’ mirliton cap also appears on the cap of the man holding the white charger in the present pair of paintings. The National Army Museum picture, which is likewise comparable in its depiction of the background, is dated 1805, providing approximate dating for this pair.
We are grateful to Dr. Andrew Cormack for identifying these figures as members of the 7th Light Dragoons and for his assistance in the cataloguing of this lot.
1 Accession no. NAM. 2020-11-11-1-1; https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=2020-11-11-1-1. See S. Wood, '“As Gallant a Soldier as ever drew Sword” – Lieutenant and Adjutant Arthur Myers, 7th (or The Queen’s Own) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Hussars)', in Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, vol. 98, Winter 2020, pp. 337–47.
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