An Old Favorite

Munnings discusses An Old Favorite in great detail in his autobiography. "I began with farm sales, horse fairs, even ploughing: but as labourers were always at work, and horses, too, I had difficulty in painting pictures of them all the time. My pattern of life was being weaved by circumstances, one of which looms large--the loan of a white pony as a model. Our doctor, George Chandler, who became one of my dearest friends, lived at Harleston, and seeing my efforts with the ponies at home, he offered to me this fat, white favourite belonging to his wife. The pony came to live at Mendham, a home of plenty, and was soon standing for me all day and every day. There was no asking for him or waiting until he was not in use. I saw him on a grey day feeding in the orchard, with the river and dark clumps of rushes and a distant level horizon behind him. I was so moved by what I saw that I was quickly back with a boy, my paints and easel, working at a canvas. We put oats and bran on the grass in driblets to keep him feeding, and be it more than forty years ago, I remember the pleasure of painting that day on a piece of perfect canvas...The white pony had a name, but for the life of me I cannot remember it. His mane and tail were thick and like silk, and his head was beautiful...The two cousins--Nina and Cecil--were staying with us again. Someone always seemed to be staying. Nina was with the pony, feeding it from the sieve of corn. She was wearing just such a blue overall as in the boat picture (Stranded, City of Bristol Museum and Art Gallery) with an old stocking cap. Blue dappled shadows of an apple-filled tree fell across the pony's back and quarters. Orchard trees in the background cast shadows on the grass. Could I but snatch this pciture--sustain the effort-- put down what I saw! What a pattern it made and what a hopeless resolve was mine! This I soon discovered as the days went on. Then, being sentimental and knowing no better, I put Cecil on the pony's back and two other ponies in the background looking on--and believe me or not, I gave it an Academy title--An Old Favorite" (ibid. pp. 95-7).

Nina and Cecil were the twin children of Munnings's mother's sister, Rosa. They were also the subjects of Munnings's first exhibited painting at the Royal Academy, Stranded, depicting the twins in a rowboat. Munnings was only in his late teens when he painted An Old Favorite, clearly showing the use of color and light for which became his trademarks.

This painting has been requested for the Sir Alfred J. Munnings Exhibition to be held by The National Museum of Racing, Saratoga Springs, 8 July to 4 September 2000.