PEARCE, Stephen (1819-1904)

Herbert Mascall Curteis, Esqre. Master of the East Sussex Fox Hounds

London: published by Henry Graves & Compy, 1 April 1868. Engraving, by Charles Mottram. (Expert repair to tear in lower blank margin). Image size (including text): 18 x 24 3/4 inches. Sheet size: 25 1/2 x 31 1/4 inches.

A very fine engraved equestrian portrait, with full margins, of the Master of the East Sussex Hunt.

Stephen Pearce 'trained at Sass's Academy in Charlotte Street, and at the Royal Academy schools, and in 1841 became a pupil of Sir Martin Archer Shee... Paintings by him of favourite horses in the royal mews (transferred in 1825 to Buckingham Palace) were exhibited at the Academy in 1839 and 1841, and from 1849, on his return from Italy, till 1885 he contributed numerous portraits and equestrian paintings to Burlington House.... Pearce was widely known as a painter of equestrian presentation portraits and groups, the most important of which is the large landscape Coursing at Ashdown Park, completed in 1869, and presented by the coursers of the United Kingdom to the Earl of Craven. For this picture, which measures ten feet long and contains about sixty equestrian portraits, including the Earl and Countess of Craven and members of the family, the Earls of Bective and Sefton, Lord and Lady Grey de Wilton, the artist received 1000 guineas and 200 guineas for the copyright. Pearce painted equestrian portraits of many masters of foxhounds and harriers, as well as of the Earl of Coventry, Sir Richard and Lady Glyn, and of Mr. Burton on Kingsbridge and Captain H. Coventry on Alcibiade, winners of the Grand National.' (DNB).

Item #6349

Price: $1,750.00