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Jack Butler Yeats
THE LITTLE HORSE AT PLAY (1948)
Lot 13
Price Realised:
€240,000
Estimate:
€200,000 - €300,000
Jack Butler Yeats RHA, 1871-1957
THE LITTLE HORSE AT PLAY (1948)
Oil on board, 9" x 14" (22.8 x 35.5cm), signed.
Provenance: Victor Waddington, Dublin where purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Arnold (1948), and by descent; Christies, London 8th May 2008... Read more
Lot 13
Jack Butler Yeats
THE LITTLE HORSE AT PLAY (1948)
DVTV Click Here To View VideoTHE LITTLE HORSE AT PLAY (1948)
Oil on board, 9" x 14" (22.8 x 35.5cm), signed.
Provenance: Victor Waddington, Dublin where purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Arnold (1948), and by descent; Christies, London 8th May 2008... Read more
Lot 13
Jack Butler Yeats
THE LITTLE HORSE AT PLAY (1948)
Estimate:
€200,000 - €300,000
Jack Butler Yeats RHA, 1871-1957
THE LITTLE HORSE AT PLAY (1948)
Oil on board, 9" x 14" (22.8 x 35.5cm), signed.
Provenance: Victor Waddington, Dublin where purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Arnold (1948), and by descent; Christies, London 8th May 2008; Private Collection.
Literature: H. Pyle, 'Jack B. Yeats: A Catalogue Raisonne of the Oil Paintings, Vol. II' no. 898, p.815 (London, 1992).
Although Jack B Yeats can be grouped internationally with the Expressionists, he fused this style with a strong Irish storytelling tradition. He returned again and again to deeply felt indigenous subjects that were at the heart of Irish life, the horse being a central motif. He depicted these with a passionate expressionist style, creating the most important Irish paintings of the modern era. Paintings like The Little Horse at Play draw on his Sligo childhood memories, where horses and racing played a big part. For Yeats the horse seemed to symbolise the freedom of his childhood, with that sense of wild abandon made palpably visible in this painting.
This feeling of joyfulness and freedom is conveyed in each and every brushstroke, in the fluid swirls of the horse and in the more frenzied depiction of the foliage. Yeats leaves naturalistic colouring behind, preferring to unify the composition in a controlled palette of greens, blues and lemons—with dashes of pure yellow electrifying the surface. The horse is at one with the surrounding environment, in perfect sympathy with the onlooker and the vibrant external world it inhabits. The Little Horse at Play epitomises a moment of total exhilaration.
Dr Frances Ruane. ARHA, April 2021
THE LITTLE HORSE AT PLAY (1948)
Oil on board, 9" x 14" (22.8 x 35.5cm), signed.
Provenance: Victor Waddington, Dublin where purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Arnold (1948), and by descent; Christies, London 8th May 2008; Private Collection.
Literature: H. Pyle, 'Jack B. Yeats: A Catalogue Raisonne of the Oil Paintings, Vol. II' no. 898, p.815 (London, 1992).
Although Jack B Yeats can be grouped internationally with the Expressionists, he fused this style with a strong Irish storytelling tradition. He returned again and again to deeply felt indigenous subjects that were at the heart of Irish life, the horse being a central motif. He depicted these with a passionate expressionist style, creating the most important Irish paintings of the modern era. Paintings like The Little Horse at Play draw on his Sligo childhood memories, where horses and racing played a big part. For Yeats the horse seemed to symbolise the freedom of his childhood, with that sense of wild abandon made palpably visible in this painting.
This feeling of joyfulness and freedom is conveyed in each and every brushstroke, in the fluid swirls of the horse and in the more frenzied depiction of the foliage. Yeats leaves naturalistic colouring behind, preferring to unify the composition in a controlled palette of greens, blues and lemons—with dashes of pure yellow electrifying the surface. The horse is at one with the surrounding environment, in perfect sympathy with the onlooker and the vibrant external world it inhabits. The Little Horse at Play epitomises a moment of total exhilaration.
Dr Frances Ruane. ARHA, April 2021
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All maximum bids are confidential and not disclosed. The system will endeavor to purchase the lot for you for the least price. Bids are subject to buyer’s premium of 25% (incl vat), with no additional charges.
In the event of a tied bid, the preference will be given to the bid submitted first. The second bidder will receive immediate notification of being outbid.
PLEASE BID EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT.
In order to allow rival bidders the opportunity to respond to a late bid the following extensions will apply:
IF A BID IS RECEIVED WITHIN THE FINAL 45 SECONDS OF THE COUNTDOWN THE CLOCK WILL RESET TO 60 SECONDS.
At any point you can leave a maximum bid, representing the highest price you are prepared to pay for a particular lot. Bidding only advances when there is competition from a rival bidder. In that case the system bids on your behalf, only up to the maximum if required. All bids are relayed to you be email, along with notification if you have been outbid.
All maximum bids are confidential and not disclosed. The system will endeavor to purchase the lot for you for the least price. Bids are subject to buyer’s premium of 25% (incl vat), with no additional charges.
In the event of a tied bid, the preference will be given to the bid submitted first. The second bidder will receive immediate notification of being outbid.
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