This well executed painting by William Albert Clark depicts a finely balanced chestnut Hackney Stallion in his prime, most likely a championship winner. Although we do not know the name of the horse, the portrait was probably commissioned by his owner to mark the occasion of his win, which would have occurred around 1920, the date of the painting.

William Clark was an animal painter from London who was born Albert William Clark in Islington on 3 January, 1880. He was part of the Clark family of artists and was the son of Albert Clark (1843-1928) and his second wife Harriet Jane Ireland. His grandfather was the artist James Lawrence Clark (1812-1884) and his older half-brother was Frederick Albert Clark (1869-1954), also an animal artist.

He was taught art from an early age by his father who influenced his style and subject matter. As he got older, Clark started using his middle name of William as his first name, presumably to avoid confusion with his father and half-brother. He lived with his family at 81 Riverdale Road, Islington until his marriage to Annie Louisa Sutton in 1900. The couple lived at 91 Kelvin Road, Highbury, Islington until after the birth of their second child in 1904. They then moved to 51 Hanover Road in Tottenham where their third child was born in 1910.

Although did not appear to have exhibited, he made a living producing portraits of horses and cattle. He joined the Royal Agricultural Society and travelled around visiting county shows where he gained commissions to paint portraits of prize cattle, horses and dogs. He remained at Hanover Road until his death on 5 March, 1963. Examples of his work are held by the Museum of Lakeland Life, Museum of Lincolnshire Life, the National Trust, Suffolk Punch Heavy Horse Museum and Warwickshire Museum.