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CHESHIRE ANTIQUES CONSULTANT LTD

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Large Historic British Victorian 19th Century Work Of Art Oil Painting Portrait Melton Bay Hunter Race Derby Winner  Jockey Fred Archer C1885 BY F S Evans.

Impress your clients & guests with this equine horse racing historical masterpiece to display on your office or home wall space. 

Subject Equine horse study portrait of a brown thoroughbred bay hunter race horse facing left in full side profile, with known Jockey Fred Archer up above in his jockey colours. The horse is wearing its head rein & saddle on, set in rural Norfolk countryside at Lord Hasting's racing stable at his home Melton Constable.

The details is so incredible the eyelashes of the horse, the muscle defination and the brown, green, white & grey colours are so bold!

Title “Melton Bay Hunter Race Winner Derby With Jockey Fred Archer Up” Dated 1885 By F S Evans.

Oil on canvas with a front glass protective cover.

Set in such a traditional decorative gilt frame.

Circa late 19th century Victorian era dated 1885.

This painting is signed in the  bottom corner by the British artist F S Evans.

The race horse Melton was owned by George, 20th Lord Hastings, whose stable was at Melton Constable, their Norfolk estate. The Times reported Melton’s win at the 1885 Derby: “Further and further did Paradox draw away, and his victory seemed well assured until Melton coming with a run, drew into second place. Inch by inch Melton crept up, and despite Archer’s most strenuous endeavours, the bell was reached ere Lord Hastings’ colt could get on terms. In the short run home from this point a truly magnificent race resulted, and as Melton and Paradox answered gamely to every call that was made upon them the finish was so close that until Melton’s number was hoisted no one could say with certainty which was the winner.” 

Frederick James Archer (11 January 1857 – 8 November 1886), also known by the nickname The Tin Man, was an English flat race jockey of the Victorian era, described as "the best all-round jockey that the turf has ever seen".He was Champion Jockey for 13 consecutive years until 1886, riding 2,748 winners from 8,084 starts, in so doing setting records for the number of Champion Jockey titles (13), number of wins in a season (246) and number of race wins (2748) which remained unthreatened until the arrival of Steve Donoghue and Sir Gordon Richards well into the 20th century. Delirious from wasting and the loss of his wife during childbirth, he committed suicide at the age of 29.

Archer was born at St. George's Cottage, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire on 11 January 1857, the second son of jockey William Archer and Emma Hayward, daughter of publican William Hayward. His elder brother, William, was also a jockey. His younger brother, Charles, was also a jockey, and later a trainer. He had at least one sister, Alice. William Archer was a short, squat man, who had taken a stud of English horses to Russia in 1842, and the year after Fred was born won the Grand National on Little Charlie. He eventually became landlord of the King's Arms public house in Prestbury, near Cheltenham, of which his father-in-law was formerly proprietor He taught Fred to box. Emma was "a big, fine-looking woman with handsome aquiline features" who some presumed to have been of good stock. 

Fred was said to have inherited his spirit from her, even if he adopted his profession from his father. He was only semi-literate. When Archer was two, the family moved to Prestbury, where he was educated a first learned to ride. A "quick, retentive, and exceedingly secretive boy", by the age of eight he was riding in pony and donkey races, losing his first match on a pony, against a donkey. This may have been one of two races he rode on a pony called Mossrose at Great Malvern. William disciplined him sternly to make him improve. He soon began winning races, even after breaking his leg while out hunting. In contradiction of his later reputation as a miser, Archer would send money home to his family, who were always in debt. At first it was postal orders for a few shillings, but as his success grew, this increased to fivers and latterly big sums. 

He was slim, graceful, with remarkably small hands and feet, and eyes of a cold blue-grey, or, according to other sources, sorrowful brown eyes, in a long pale face. He had pronounced front teeth, meaning his lips did not quite meet. He also had a round-shouldered stoop, typical of tall jockeys. He could have passed as a gentleman, and some, including Lord Rosebery, thought he may have been the son of Lord Wilton Classic race victories Great Britain • Epsom Derby – Silvio (1877), Bend Or (1880), Iroquois (1881), Melton (1885), Ormonde (1886) • Epsom Oaks – Spinaway (1875), Jannette (1878), Wheel of Fortune (1880), Lonely (1885) • 1,000 Guineas – Spinaway (1875), Wheel of Fortune (1879) • 2,000 Guineas – Atlantic (1874), Charibert (1879), Galliard (1883), Paradox (1885) • St. Leger – Silvio (1877), Jannette (1878), Iroquois (1881), Dutch Oven (1882), Melton (1885), Ormonde (1886) France • Grand Prix de Paris – Bruce (1882), Paradox (1885), Minting (1886) • Prix du Jockey Club – Beauminet (1880), Frontin (1883).

Provenance: Passed to the vendor from the estate of the late Stafford Ellerman (1928-2022). Stafford's great Grandfather Sir William Cass was a doctor to Queen Victoria on the Isle of Wight. His son, and Stafford's grandfather Stafford Thomas Cass (1849-1934), was at school with Lord Hastings. They became friends and sailed around the world together in Lord Hastings's yacht Aline. Lord Hastings's home was at Melton Constable in Norfolk where he kept a racing stable which included the horse in this picture Melton. It won the Derby and St Ledger in 1885 ridden by Fred Archer. The picture was given to Stafford Cass by Lord Hastings and passed down through the family to Stafford and thence to the vendor. Another painting which is the pair to this one by the same artist is in the collection of the National Trust at Seaton Delaval. The difference is the that Fred Archer is looking to the left in the painting housed presently in the National Trust, compared to our this painting Fred Archer is looking towards the viewer. Also if you compare you will see the background is the same, the location is the same Lord Hastings home stables, the horse is the same, the year date 1885 is also the same and the artist is the same F S Evans. You can compare the other painting which is in the National Trust Collection at Seaton Delaval Hall in Northumberland.

Labels verso from a fine high end art auction in leafy Surrey area & Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD.

Stamped on the canvas back Peroy Young Slade School Fine Art Dep, 137 Gower Street London.

With hanging thread on the back ready for immediate home display.

Condition report offered in fine used condition. Having various foxing stains also craquelure to the surface, The frame having general wear, dust, scuffs, stains and some losses commensurate with usage & old age.

International worldwide shipping is available please ask for a quote.

Dimensions in centimetres of frame

High (81 cm)
Length depth thickness (2.5 cm)
Wide (99 cm)

• Period: 1885
• • Price: £65,000.00
  • €78,195 Euro
  • $81,569 US Dollar
• Location: London
• • Dimensions: H: 81cm (31.89in)
  • W: 99cm (38.98in)
  • D: 2.5cm (0.98in)