Before the flies come

Details

Sir Alfred James Munnings, P.R.A., R.W.S. (1878-1959)
Before the flies come
signed 'A.J.Munnings' (lower right)
oil on canvas
18¼ x 24¼ in. (46.4 x 61.5 cm.)

Provenance

Mrs M.D. Elwell.
Mortimer L. Brandt, New York.
Private Collector, California; Christie's, London, 27 June 1958, lot 62.
Anonymous sale; Christie's, New York, 4 June 1982, lot 112.
with Richard Green, London.
Private Collection, New York; Christie's, New York, 9 June 1988, lot 268.

Exhibited

London, Leicester Galleries, Exhibition of Pictures of Horses, Hunting and Country Life by Alfred Munnings, 1913, no. 25.
London, Leicester Galleries, Paintings by A.J. Munnings, R.A. since 1928, April - May 1938, no. 56.
London, Richard Green, Annual Sporting Art Exhibition, 1982, no. 45, illustrated in colour.

Special Notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

These are probably Munnings's own horses grazing in one of the paddocks behind his home, Castle House in Dedham. The horses are resting in the shade of the trees undisturbed by the insects that will arrive later in the heat of the day. Munnings's inimitable talent for capturing light is displayed in the brilliant way he uses colour to describe the horses coats. He was particularly fond of grey horses and here he uses deliberate and defined brushwork in the complete spectrum of cool colours; blues, indigos and violets to create the effect on the dapple. In marked contrast the foliage behind the horses is described with energetic brushstrokes using a palette of burgundy, yellow and mauve in addition to the usual shades of green.

This work will be included in Lorian Peralta-Ramos's forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the works of Sir Alfred James Munnings.

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