An excellent sporting painting of a bay hunter called Psyche by Clifton Tomson. A saddled bay mare is shown standing side on in a landscape tethered to a tree. She is depicted with her head slightly turned towards the viewer to reveal a white star shaped mark on her forehead. The horse also has a distinctive white off hind fetlock and bears a docked tail which was a common practice for hunter horses of the period. The technique of placing thoroughbred horses against a landscape backdrop was commonly used by artists of the period to emphasise the horse’s fine proportions. In the distance to the right can be seen a country house and estate which most probably belonged to the horse’s owner. The labels on the reverse of the painting indicate it was originally owned by Mr Alfred Thomas Fellows. Further research has revealed that Fellows was a banker, born in Nottingham in 1790 and lived at Beeston House, Beeston Fields, Nottingham where he held the title of Sheriff in 1817. He died on 9 October, 1861 aged 72 and the painting was later inherited by his youngest son, Mr George Fellows, JP. A description of the painting and provenance at the time are also listed in the book ‘Animal Painters of England from 1650, Volume 3’, by Sir Walter Gilbey, Bart, published in 1911, p233. It is highly likely that Alfred Fellows was the owner of Pysche at the time of this painting and commissioned Tomson to paint the portrait.

Clifton Tomson was born in Nottingham in 1775, the son of William and Mary Tomson. Little is known about his early life but he is recorded as becoming an apprentice Framework Knitter to John Rothwell of Nottingham in 1790 at the age of 15. However, it became apparent that his talents lay in another direction and his master allowed him to take art lessons from Mr Bonington, a drawing master and father of the artist Richard Parkes Bonington. Under Bonington’s tutelage, Tomson developed his artistic skills and decided to pursue a career as an artist when his apprenticeship came to an end.

At some point he began to specialise in paintings of animals, particularly sporting horses. Horseracing had become hugely popular in the area, with racing regularly taking place at Nottingham and the Doncaster Cup and St Leger Stakes at nearby Doncaster from the late 1770’s. Having established himself as an artist, he married Grace Brailsford on 22 January, 1797 at St Peter’s Church, Nottingham. Together the couple lived at Pepper Alley in Nottingham where they started a family. His son William (b1808) also became an artist. The family later moved to Park Street where Tomson set up a studio.

From his base, he would spend his time travelling around the country visiting the races to sketch horses and made his living earning commissions from wealthy owners and breeders. In 1801, he gained a commission from Earl Fitz William to paint the racehorse ‘Orville’ which earned him further patronage from members of the aristocracy. This work and others were made into engravings and published in the Sporting Magazine. He also painted portraits of dogs; two of which were for Lord Byron.

Tomson died at Nottingham on 6 September, 1828 aged 54. After his death, his local paper wrote of him: “In the portraits of his horses he was held in high estimation, and in several instances his works have been preferred to Herring’s. In his manners he was mild and inoffensive, and his character was upright and honest”. Examples of his paintings are held by Burghley House, Harris Museum, National Trust, Newstead Abbey, Nottingham City Museum, Stevenage Museum and the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool.

© Benton Fine Art