A wonderful sporting horse portrait of the champion racehorse Flying Fox by Albert Clark. The stallion is depicted standing side on in a stable with his head slightly turned towards the viewer to reveal a distinctive white blaze on his face. To the right can be seen a blanket hanging over a feeding trough with the initial ‘W, most likely representing the Duke of Westminster, who was his owner at the time of this painting. The Duke would have probably commissioned Clark to commemorate the stallion’s racing successes with this portrait.

Flying Fox was a stallion foaled in 1896 out of Vampire and sired by Orme at the Eaton Stud. He was owned by Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster and trained by John Porter, one of the most successful racehorse trainers of the period. He was a highly strung horse who although only raced for 2 years won many races in that time. These included the New Stakes and Criterion Stakes in 1898, the Triple Crown in 1899 (2,000 Guineas, The Epsom Derby and St Leger Stakes) and the Eclipse Stakes, Jockey Club Stakes and Princess of Wales's Stakes in 1899. After Grosvenor’s death in 1899, he was sold to the French sportsman Edmond Blanc where he was put to stud at Blanc’s Haras de Jardy horse breeding centre near Paris. He went on to sire a number of prize winning champions including Ajax and Val d’Or. He died at Haras de Jardy on 21 March, 1911.

Albert Clark was born on 29 October 1843 in Hoxton London into the Clark family of artists. His father was the animal painter James Lawrence Clark (1812-1909) and his mother was Elizabeth London. His brothers Samuel James Clark (1841-1928), Octavius Thomas Clark (1850-1921) and half-brother James Albert Clark (1863-1955) all became artists. Two of his children Frederick Albert Clark (1869-1954) and William Albert Clark (1880-1963) also inherited the Clark talent for painting.

Given the similarity in style and subject matter, it is highly likely he was taught by his father alongside his brothers. He made his debut at an early age, being recorded as an artist at the age of just 17. His subjects initially followed that of his father and included horses, cattle and dogs. However, Albert soon began to specialise in horse portraits and received many commissions to paint race horses and show winners.

He married Ellen Parsons on 2 April, 1868 and together they had 4 children (Frederick Albert Clark being the youngest) and lived at 64 Shepperton Cottages, Islington. After the death of his first wife, he married Harriet Jane Ireland on 19 June, 1875. Together they had 3 more children, one of whom was William Albert Clark.

By 1881, he had moved to 81 Riversdale Road, Islington living on the same road as his father until his death in 1884. After this time, he set up a studio at his home with his son Frederick Albert who lived close by. Although they spent time working on their own paintings, they also collaborated on a number works which were signed Albert Clark and Son. It is possible that his youngest son William Albert may also have helped with these paintings.

This period seems to have coincided with him becoming deaf which could be one of the reasons he took up the partnership with his son for a time. Despite his hearing loss, Clark continued to travel around gaining commissions to paint prize winning horses. His second wife died in 1896 and sometime after 1901, he moved to the Seven Sisters Road in Tottenham where he spent the rest of his life. He died at Middlesex Hospital on 18 December, 1928.

Examples of his works can be found at the Totnes Elizabethan House Museum and Doncaster Museum.

© Benton Fine Art