Some 38 works of art with a combined estimated value of $900,000 to $1.3 million from The Jockey Club will be auctioned off in Sotheby's Sporting Life Sale, with online bidding open from Oct. 14-25.
Leading the group is a significant painting by John Frederick Herring Sr., titled: The 1828 Doncaster St. Leger Won by The Colonel, which is estimated to fetch between $400,000 and $600,000. John Frederick Herring Sr.'s series of racing pictures inspired by the 1828 St Leger S. are some of his most highly prized sporting works and this piece is one of the most valuable by the artist to come to auction in over a decade.
The 1828 Doncaster St. Leger Won by The Colonel depicts the 1828 St Leger race led by The Colonel*, who can be seen on the far right of the image above, overtaking the group made up of Belinda, Velocipede, and Besy Bedlam, who are all identified by the inscription underneath. Adding to the drama of the scene, Herring depicts the galloping horses with all four legs outstretched and off the ground (something which was proved impossible half a century later by Eadweard Muybridge's series of cabinet cards capturing a horse in motion), nevertheless, Herring's cinematic composition freezes the rush and excitement of racing horses flying through the air in physically impossible strides.
“The Jockey Club has owned these beautiful works of art for many years, and for that time they have been displayed in our offices in New York City,” said The Jockey Club's Jim Gagliano. “Early next year, we are moving to a location in New York that doesn't have the space to accommodate the collection. As a result, The Jockey Club board of stewards authorized management to research options for the collection, including a sale. We are pleased that Sotheby's has agreed to handle the auction, and we look forward to these pieces finding the right homes so they may continue to be appropriately enjoyed.”
Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Club's initiatives in support of the Thoroughbred industry.
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