A wonderful horse portrait of a prize winning grey mare called Pen-y-Lan Queenie by the animal painter Frederick Albert Clark. Pen-y-Lan Queenie or Queenie was a hunter class mare owned by Sir William J Tatem of Pen-Y-Lan, Cardiff. She took second prize at the 1904 and 1906 Tredegar Show hunter trials at Coedkernew. Tatem owned WJ Tatem & Co, a shipping company based in Cardiff. He kept a number of horses and was well-known as a hunter and hackney horse exhibitor. Tatem commissioned a number of horse portraits of his prize winners from Clark, including one of Pen-y-Lan Minister in 1907.
Frederick Albert Clark was born on 29 March, 1869 in Islington, part of the Clark family of artists. His parents were the artist Albert Clark (1843-1928) and his first wife Ellen Parsons. His grandfather was the animal painter James Lawrence Clark (1812-1909) and his half-brother William Albert Clark (1880-1963) also went on to become an artist. He was actually christened Albert but later added the name of Frederick when signing his paintings to avoid confusion with his father. His mother died when he was only 3 and his father remarried in 1875 to Harriet Ireland. By 1881, the family had moved to 81 Riverdale Road in Islington, the same road as his grandfather. Although little has been discovered about his early education, it is clear from his style and subject matter that he had lessons from his father and possibly his grandfather as he lived nearby.
By the time of his marriage to Helena Louisa Webb on 26 June, 1890 at Islington, he had become a full time artist. Together, the couple spent the first years of married life living at 94 Finsbury Park Road in Hornsey and went on to have 6 children. Around the turn of the century, they moved to nearby 26 Avenell Road to accommodate their growing family. Like his father, Clark specialised in sporting paintings of horses. Although he did not exhibit, he earned his living painting commissions for the landed gentry who wanted portraits to commemorate their prize winning horses. His patrons included Baroness Burdett Coutts, Lord Abercromby, the Duke of Northumberland and Professor J Wortley Axe. Many of the horse portraits he painted were of trotting horses and he was known to have painted over 100 of the handicap winners.
Clark moved to 49 Umfreville Road, Finsbury Park around 1905 from where he worked and also set up a framing business possibly with one of his wife's relatives, called Webb, Clark & Co. He lived at Umfreville Road with his wife until she died in 1915. After her death, he moved to 29 Queens Drive, Stoke Newington and in 1924 married Eliza Osborne Johns. His second wife died in 1949 and he spent his final years living in Coaxden Park Road, Uxbridge. He died at Hillingdon Hospital on 29 July, 1954.
Presentation | The work is housed in its original gilt frame which is in excellent condition. The stretcher bears a label for the frame maker and picture restorers Webb, Clark & Co of 49 Umfreville Road. This was a business set up by Clark and possibly his in-laws (his wife’s maiden name was Webb) after he moved there in 1905 most likely in part to meet the growing needs of his horse portrait work. It also retains a partial label that Clark had printed, which also offers a glimpse of some of his patrons. |
Condition | As with all of our original antique oil paintings, this work is offered in ready to hang gallery condition, having been professionally cleaned, restored and revarnished. |
Dimensions
Image Size | 19.5 inches x 23.5 inches (49.5cm x 59.5cm) |
Framed Size | 26.75 inches x 30.75 inches (68cm x 78cm) |