Attributed to Edward Troye, Swiss born, American, 1808 to 1874, a 19th century oil on canvas painting Stable Scene with a Black Horse. Unframed. Edward Troye became one of the first United States artists to specialize in animal subjects. He was the foremost mid-19th-century painter of horses, creating nearly 360 paintings and numerous drawings. He also painted portraits of leading preachers of the day including Reverend Joseph Stiles. Other subjects were prize livestock and equestrian figure portraits such as two equestrian portraits of General Winfield Scott, the Civil War General. One of a kind artwork. Classic American Fine Art, Antique Paintings And Wall Decor Collectibles.
Edward Troye (1808-1874) Ca. 1834 hand-colored albumen photograph in large format, assumed to be a part of the series 'Race Horses In America'. Labeled on reverse, Sketch of American Eclipse, from ”Famous American Horses” Published by Porter & Coates, 822 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia PA”. Signed and dated lower left, E. Troye 1834. Image 24.5” x 29”, Overall in gilt wood frame 28” x 33”.
Edward Troye (1808-1874) ca. 1834 hand-colored albumen photograph in large format, assumed to be a part of the series 'Race Horses In America'. Labeled on reverse, Sketch of American Eclipse, from 'Famous American Horses', Published by Porter & Coates, 822 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia PA”. Signed and dated lower left, E. Troye 1834. Includes extensive history pertaining to Troye andthese prints. Image 24.5” x 29”, Overall in gilt wood frame 28” x 33”.
EDWARD HOPKINS, TROY, NEW YORK, ROSEWOOD FLUTE, three sections of a headjoint, body, and foot made of rosewood with original nickel silver ferrules, having open finger holes and probably original nickel silver keys, presented in period, possibly original, case. Each section with "HOPKINS / TROY" mark for Edward Hopkins, Jr. of Troy, NY (active c. 1839-1866).
Property from the collection of The Jockey Club (US) for the benefit of initiatives in support of the Thoroughbred industry Edward Troye American 1808 - 1874 Dixie in Landscape signed and dated E. Troye / July 19. 1871 (lower left) oil on canvas canvas: 17 by 23 in.; 43.1 by 58.4 cm framed: 21 1/2 by 27 1/2 in.; 54.6 by 69.8 cm Bid on Sotheby's
Property from the collection of The Jockey Club (US) for the benefit of initiatives in support of the Thoroughbred industry Edward Troye American 1808 - 1874 Henry in a Landscape signed and dated E. Troye May 1834 (lower right) oil on canvas canvas: 25 1/4 by 30 1/4 in.; 64.1 by 76.8 cm framed: 33 1/4 by 38 1/4 in.; 84.4 by 97.1 cm Bid on Sotheby's
Property from the collection of The Jockey Club (US) for the benefit of initiatives in support of the Thoroughbred industry Edward Troye American 1808 - 1874 Lightning (A Gray Racehorse) in a Stable signed and dated E. Troye/ May 14/ 1869 (lower right) oil on canvas canvas: 24 7/8 by 29 7/8 in.; 63.1 by 75.8 cm framed: 29 3/4 by 34 3/4 in.; 75.5 by 88.2 cm Bid on Sotheby's
Property from the collection of The Jockey Club (US) for the benefit of initiatives in support of the Thoroughbred industry Edward Troye American 1808 - 1874 War Dance in a Landscape signed and dated E. Troye Oct. 15 1869 (lower left) oil on canvas canvas: 25 1/4 by 30 1/4 in., 64 by 77 cm framed: 33 1/2 by 38 1/2 in., 85 by 97.5 cm Bid on Sotheby's
Property from the collection of The Jockey Club (US) for the benefit of initiatives in support of the Thoroughbred industry Edward Troye American 1808 - 1874 Reel with Gray Racehorse signed E. Troye (lower left) oil on canvas canvas: 22 1/2 by 29 3/4 in.; 57.1 by 75.5 cm framed: 27 by 34 1/4 in.; 68.5 by 87 cm Bid on Sotheby's
Property from the collection of The Jockey Club (US) for the benefit of initiatives in support of the Thoroughbred industry Edward Troye 1808 - 1874 Boston in a Landscape oil on canvas canvas: 31 1/10 by 39 in.; 79 by 99 cm framed: 38 7/10 by 46 3/5 in.; 98.5 by 118.5 cm Bid on Sotheby's
Property from the collection of The Jockey Club (US) for the benefit of initiatives in support of the Thoroughbred industry Edward Troye 1808 - 1874 Roxanna and Her Colt Blarney Stone by Rhynodyne signed and dated E. Troye / July 1866 and 1867 (lower left) oil on canvas canvas: 28 by 36 1/4 in.; 71.1 by 92 cm framed: 40 1/2 by 50 1/2 in.; 102.8 by 128.2 cm Bid on Sotheby's
Property from the collection of The Jockey Club (US) for the benefit of initiatives in support of the Thoroughbred industry Edward Troye 1808 - 1874 Glencoe in a Landscape signed and dated E. Troye 1859 (lower right) oil on canvas canvas: 31 by 38 3/4 in.; 79 by 98.5 cm framed: 38 3/4 by 46 1/2 in.; 98.5 by 118.5 cm Bid on Sotheby's
Property from the collection of The Jockey Club (US) for the benefit of initiatives in support of the Thoroughbred industry Edward Troye American 1808 - 1874 American Eclipse in a Landscape signed and dated E. Troye./ 1834 (lower right) oil on canvas canvas: 25 1/5 by 30 in.; 64 by 76.5 cm framed: 33/14 by 38 1/5 in.; 84.5 by 97 cm Bid on Sotheby's
Property from the collection of The Jockey Club (US) for the benefit of initiatives in support of the Thoroughbred industry Edward Troye American 1808 - 1874 Mary Hadley in a Loose Box signed and dated E. Troye / 1872 (lower right); inscribed Presented by/ E. Troye/ in token of friendship/ to/ James A. Grimstad/ Esq. (reverse) oil on canvas canvas: 30 by 23 1/5 in.; 77 by 59 cm framed: 38 1/10 by 32 1/2 in.; 97 by 82.5 cm Bid on Sotheby's
Edward Troye (American, 1808-1874), Portrait of the Racehorse Boston being an 1860s sepia albumen photograph of Troye's original 1839 painting, hand-colored in oil by the artist for his projected series, The Race Horses of America. This image was published in 1867 as part of the collection's first installment. Unfortunately, the entire project was never completed. Presented behind a mat in a 20th century wooden frame (12-3/4 x 12-1/2 in.) (Age toning; some surface marks). Included with this work is the definitive reference on Troye, as follows: Mackay-Smith, Alexander. The Race Horses of America 1832-1872, Portraits and Other Paintings by Edward Troye (Saratoga Springs: The National Museum of Racing, 1981), 4to (12-3/4 in.), green linen boards, numerous color plates of Troye's horses. The 1867 portrait of Boston is listed on page 431. Included is a pre-publication prospectus for this book. (Binding with some play, else good condition.) Edward Troye is regarded as America's top equestrian artist of the 19th century. Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.lelandlittle.com
Mackay-Smith, A. (1981). The Race Horses of America 1832-1872, Portraits and Other Paintings by Edward Troye. The National Museum of Racing, Saratoga Springs, New York. Fine condition
Edward Troye Swiss/American, 1808-1874 Cattle in a Landscape Oil on canvas Signed & dated 1848 Following Troye’s marriage in 1839 and the subsequent birth of his daughter, he traveled less frequently the ensuing 10 years until he accepted a professorship at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, in September 1849. While perhaps best known for his horse images, Troye was also in demand for his cattle paintings by the noted Kentucky farmers of his day. Enlisted at the end of the 1830s to produce images of 14 cows and 10 bulls for The Kentucky Stock Book, he also did cattle pieces for George Sanders and Keene Richards among other Kentuckians. A group painting of cattle for Richard Pindell of Lexington in 1844 followed, and by 1854 Troye painted no less than five cattle pieces for R. A. Alexander of Woodburn Farm. Stylistically this work exhibits the traits of his paintings during this earlier period in Kentucky. One notable example of this is the amount of foliage Troye included, as opposed to the sparser landscapes that appear in many of his later works. Two notable examples of this are his painting of A. B. Offutt of Georgetown, Kentucky’s shorthorn bull “Kirkpatrick,” illustrated on page 91 of Alexander MacKay-Smith’s The Racehorses of America, and a painting of Richard Pindell’s ”Mares and Foals,” illustrated on page 138 of the same book.
Edward Troye Swiss/American, 1808-1874 Mambrino Patchen Oil on canvas Signed & dated September 23, 1868 Provenance: Dr. Levi Herr, Forest Park Farm, Lexington, Kentucky Kennedy Galleries, New York Frost and Reed Illustrated: Alexander MacKay-Smith, The Race-Horses of America: 1832–1872, Portraits and Other Paintings by Edward Troye, Saratoga Springs, NY: National Museum of Racing, 1981, page 294. Exhibited: Frost and Reed Exhibition of Fine Sporting Paintings, April 22 – May 6, 1986, Kentucky Derby Museum, Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky. In the Aug. 31, 1867, issue of Turf, Field and Farm, an advertisement discussed Troye’s traveling to Europe and painting bloodstock for interested parties. Finding no takers, Troye returned to Lexington, Kentucky, to complete a commission for Dr. Levi Herr of his prized Standardbred, Mambrino Patchen. Herr, a veterinarian who one writer for The Spirit of the Times said, “If asked who is the best horseman in America, we should unhesitatingly say Dr. L. Herr,” is credited with beginning the practice of breaking racehorses as yearlings and was insistent on breeding Thoroughbreds and trotters together to improve the breed. American Eclipse, Messenger, Duroc, and Sir Archy are just some of the names in Mambrino Patchen’s pedigree, and he was prized from the day he was foaled. A champion in the show ring as well, he was sold to John K. Alexander for $1,500, then a record price for a trotting yearling. Just a year later, Herr bought the horse back to be the premier stallion at his Forest Park Farm in Lexington. Herr published catalogues of his bloodstock annually, mostly revolving around Mambrino Patchen, who commanded up to $200 for a breeding session, a large sum at the time. As John Hervey notes in The American Trotter on page 202, “His popularity from the outset had been pronounced, and he left behind a large family of which the majority of his daughters remained in Kentucky as its most successful broodmares; while his sons, because of their beauty, style, and show-ring qualities, were sold to go to all parts of the Union. The career of Mambrino Patchen [continued with] the great influence he exerted as a progenitor — his blood today being carried by practically all our modern champions.” Mambrino Patchen sired 25 offspring that took standard records, all trotters. His 57 sons sired 166 trotters and 47 pacers with standard records while his daughters produced 146 trotters and 21 pacers with standard records. Hervey goes on to note (page 206), “But the glory of Mambrino Patchen accrued through his daughters, which as a band were not only the premier producers of their generation, but unsurpassed by any other, before or since, most particularly in the carrying power of their blood and its prolonged influence. It is practically impossible to tabulate the pedigree of a modern champion without continually encountering them until their presence has become akin to a matter of course and their names not only household words but, it may fairly be said, assured of immortality.” On May 24, 1891, The New York Times ran Herr’s obituary, opening with, “Kentucky’s pioneer trotting horse breeder, Dr. L. Herr, the man who bred the famous Mambrino Patchen, is dead.” Shortly thereafter his Forest Park Farm in Lexington, located on land between South Limestone and the parallel railroad tracks across from the University of Kentucky, was auctioned off over two days. The first day the land was sold; the second day the contents of the house, with which this painting would have been included.
Commissioned oil on canvas portrait of the famed racehorse Lexington standing alone in a landscape after renowned 19th Century American Sporting Artist Edward Troye (1808-1874) of Georgetown, Kentucky. Quality gold leafed frame. Measures a large impressive 33 1/2 tall x 39 1/2 wide overall in frame. Sight size is 23 1/2 x 29 1/2. This is a commissioned copy of the original Edward Troye painting that was painted by an excellent artist in the past. It is an original oil on canvas-not a print.
Edward Troye (Swiss/American, 1808-1874) RICHARD SINGLETON $40,000. – 60,000. Oil on canvas, 24” x 29” Signed and dated $40,000. – 60,000. Provenance: Painted for Capt. Willa Viley, Scott County, Ky Mrs. Churchill, Mr. Richard Baylor Hickman, Family Decent Literature: MacKay-Smith, A., The Race Horses of America, Saratoga Springs, The National Museum of Racing, 1981 Exhibited: New York, NY, Newhouse Galleries, Loan Exhibition of Paintings by Edward Troye, Nov. 15-26, 1938 No. 28 Richard Singleton was a champion racehorse owned by Colonel Willa Viley. Viley was one of the most important people in the formation of Thoroughbred racing in Kentucky, helping form the Kentucky Association and owning and breeding several champions. His farm near Georgetown was the base for all of his operations. Richard Singleton was among the horses that gave Viley prominence. He started in 14 four-mile-heat races and won all but two. In one noted race he ran 16 miles, winning three heats out of five. Troye painted Richard Singleton twice before he completed this painting, and those earlier two, virtually identical, are considered Troye’s finest works. William Elsey Connelley, in his History of Kentucky, Vol. 5, writes that when the initial portrait was painted, Richard Singleton was “undoubtedly the greatest racehorse in Kentucky.” This is a later portrait, showing the horse after his retirement to stud. Alexander Mackay-Smith, the leading scholar of Troye, describes this painting as “a later portrait of Richard Singleton as a stallion, showing the horse perhaps 200 pounds heavier, in breeding condition, and with more crest to his neck.” Richard Singleton as a stallion was more important as a dam sire, though the colt Monkey Dick performed well in 1839. His bloodline, through his daughters Greasy Heel and Mary Brennan, extends to the present day. Richard Singleton was, in all likelihood, named for Colonel Richard Singleton, a South Carolinian and one of the pillars of Thoroughbred racing and breeding in that region. He was described as an excellent judge of horses and tactful in the placement of his horses in races. His success as a breeder is also described by Irving: “At one time the produce of Col. Singleton’s stud were accustomed to bringing the best prices and be sought after with avidity by all who were either engaged upon the Turf, or were anxious to make their debut with some credit on it.” A prominent member of South Carolina society, the colonel owned more than 12,000 acres and numerous boats to transport his cotton to England. His daughter married the son of President Martin Van Buren and was very popular in Washington society. Singleton’s horses raced in New Orleans, Charleston, and Saratoga. Singleton hosted Troye at his elegant plantation, known as Melrose or Singleton Hall, near Camden in the spring of 1934. There, Troye painted five of Singleton’s horses, a large commission for the artist. When Troye first went to Lexington in the autumn of 1834, he brought with him three of the five paintings he’d painted for Richard Singleton and displayed them in the lobby of the Phoenix Hotel. It is likely that Willa Viley was one of his first patrons in Kentucky, either through a letter of introduction from Colonel Richard Singleton or through Troye’s paintings in the Phoenix Hotel.
Edward Troye (Switzerland/Kentucky, 1808-1874), Horse in landscape, oil on canvas, signed lower left "E. Troye", 19.5"h x 29.5"w (sight), 25.5"h x 35.5"w (framed)
Famous American Thoroughbreds Set of 20 hand-colored engravings, number 5 of 110 sets Twenty Hand-Coloured Engravings After Original Paintings of Famous American Thoroughbreds by Edward Troye. Published by At the Sign of the Gosden Head in 1932, this is a complete set of all 20 prints, numbered 5 out of 110. Kentucky by Lexington, out of Magnolia, 1861. Enquirer by Leamington, out of Lida, 1867. Asteroid by Lexington, out of Nebula, 1861. Vandal by Glencoe, out of a Tranby daughter, 1850. Reel by Glencoe, out of Gallopade, 1838. Tranby by Blacklock, out of a daughter of Orville, 1826. Australian by West Australian, out of Emilia, 1858. Trifle by Sir Charles, out of a daughter of Cicero, 1828. American Eclipse by Duroc, out of Millers Damsel, 1814. Bertrand - by Sir Archy, out of Eliza, 1821. Revenue by Trustee, out of Rosalie Somers, 1843. Boston by Timoleon, out of a sister of Tuckahoe, 1833. Sir Archy by Diomed, out of Castianira, 1805. Ruthless by Eclipse, out of Barbarity, 1864. Glencoe by Sultan, out of Trampoline, 1831. Leviathan by Muley, out of Sarsaparilla, 1823. Sir Henry by Sir Archy, out of a daughter of Diomed, 1819. Lexington by Boston, out of Alice Carneal, 1850. Leamington by Faugh-a-Ballagh, out of Pantaloon Mare, 1853. Longfellow by Leamington, out of Nantura, 1867.
Nina This painting is the one referenced on page 313 of Alexander Mackay-Smiths book The Race Horses of America as one of the two from the Whitney Collection of Sporting Art that was deaccessioned from Yale in exchange for a John James Audubon. The New York gallery that received the painting named it Nina, and it could be Nina, based on another known portrait of the horse by Troye. Mackay-Smith was unable to verify with absolute certainty which horse this might be but also speculates it could have been a mare belonging to James Grinstead of Kentucky, possibly Kelpie. Francis P. Garvan assembled and later gave Yale University what would become the core of its American art collection; along with this he bestowed the finest collection of sporting art ever assembled in this country, named in honor of his two friends and fellow Yale alumni, Harry Payne Whitney and Payne Whitney.
Edward Troye (Swiss/American, 1808-1874), "Lady Ridley Held by 'Picayune', a Black Boy of about Fifteen Dressed in a Top Hat and Eton Jacket," 1836, oil on canvas, signed "E. Troye" and dated "Nov. 1836" lower right, 19-3/4" x 24-1/4". Presented in a contemporary giltwood frame. Provenance: Painted for Ambrose Lecomte (1807-1883), "Magnolia Plantation", Natchitoches, Louisiana; thence by descent to Lecomte's granddaughter Mrs. L. A. Cockfield (1883-1978), Natchitoches, Louisiana, 1939; Robert De Blieux (1933-2010), Natchitoches, Louisiana; Felix Kuntz (1890-1971), New Orleans, Louisiana, thence by descent to his niece Karolyn Kunst Westervelt (1939-2015), New Orleans, Louisiana. Illustrated: Mackay-Smith, Alexander. The Race Horses of America, 1832-1872: Portraits and Others by Edward Troye. Saratoga Springs: National Museum of Racing, 1981. p. 86 and index. Edward Troye, the preeminent equestrian artist of 19th-century America, depicted hundreds of race horses, chronicling some of the only visual records of the antebellum sport and its breed pedigree. Though born in Lausanne, Switzerland to French Protestant parents, Troye grew up in England and was reared in the traditions of the British sporting societies. Following a short jaunt in Jamaica as a sugar plantation manager, Troye immigrated to America, finding work as an animal illustrator in Philadelphia. These early forays led to the submission of three paintings to the annual exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, which attracted the attention of horse enthusiasts, including his first patron John Charles Craig, the thoroughbred breeding magnate from Carlton Farm in Pennsylvania. Craig was pivotal in launching Troye's career in the industry; his connections led to many commissions, including illustrations for The American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine - the nation's first sporting periodical. All together the periodical features twenty-one of Troye's paintings as its frontispieces. Troye's work greatly appealed to his affluent patrons because it emulated the stylistic conventions of British sporting depictions, particularly that of George Stubbs (1724-1806) and elevated flat and harness racing to an industry of gentry reflective of the purebreds it produced. By 1833, Troye had left Philadelphia, pursuing commission across the country that took him from major racetracks and races to wealthy breeders and owners. After an eight-month sojourn in Alabama, where he painted six horses belonging to Colonel Crowell at Fort Mitchell, Troye arrived in the late fall of 1836 at Magnolia Plantation in Natchitoches, Louisiana - a setting for this painting. At the behest of Ambrose Lecomte II, the plantation owner, turfman and race horse aficionado, whose stables also produced the famed "Flying Dutchman", "Lecomte" and "Lady Brown", Troye was commissioned to paint his champion mare "Lady Ridley." True to his characteristic style, Troye composed the painting horizontally with the animal centrally framed against a backdrop of foliage and flanked by a jockey/groom or trainer. Troye's uncluttered, stylized approach enabled him to focus on the horse's physique from its withers to its hocks and tendons in its forearms and gaskins. Lavish attention was equally paid to the groom called "Picayune" - another name for trivial or insignificant, which is an oxymoron given his fine dress, expression, and relative position to the horse. According to Jessica Dallow in her pivotal essay on Troye and antebellum sports illustrated, African-American men in the racing industry occupied an ambivalent place between cherished chattel and revered athletes. Boys born of both free-men and slaves from the age of ten to fourteen years of age were handpicked for their physique, agility and acuity to train as grooms. They were rigorously instructed for seven years as apprentices in the art of training and riding horses for the turf before they were able to matriculate to jockey or trainer, and it was not uncommon for owners to handsomely pay for their grooms' education in the field. After the abolition of slavery, African-American men excelled as athletes in horse racing; they won all the early runnings of the Kentucky Derby. "Picayune's" Eaton jacket, stripped English waist coat and what Harry Worcester Smith described when he saw the painting in 1939, as a "black beaver top hat" further sanction the burgeoning wealth of the racing industry. In the words of Dallow, "the sartorial splendor, specifically the top hats and tails worn by trainers...evidences its (the industry's) desire to perpetuate its noble lineage...that necessitated greater, more specialized, more stratified staff. This painting's provenance is no less illustrious and intriguing than the picture it depicts. Magnolia plantation, the setting that inspired the 1989 movie "Steel Magnolias" is nationally recognized as one of the South's historic treasures. It was built by Lecomte in 1830, and then rebuilt in 1889 by his son-in-law Matthew Herzog after Federal troops burned it in 1864 while retreating from the battle at Mansfield. From Lecomte, the Troye painting passed to his youngest daughter Eliza Prudhomme (1840-1923) and her daughter Noelie Cockfield (1883-1978). Shortly after the death of Mrs.Cockfield's husband Dr. Leroy Akron in 1947, the work was acquired by the DeBlieux family, also related to the Prudhommes through Robert DeBlieux's maternal grandmother (Ophelia Prudhomme Roubieu). Robert DeBlieux, an ardent historian and preservationist, served as the mayor of Natchitoches from 1976-1980, and was instrumental in founding of the Natchitoches Historic District. From DeBlieux, the Troye painting entered the esteemed art collection of Felix Kuntz, much of which is now conserved in the New Orleans Museum of Art. References: Mackay-Smith, Alexander. The Race Horses of America, 1832-1872: Portraits and Other Paintings by Edward Troye. Saratoga Springs: National Museum of Racing, 1981. Dallow, Jessica. “Antebellum Sports Illustrated: Representing African Americans in Edward Troye's Equine Paintings.” Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide 12:2 (2013); Gould, Philip, Richard Seale and Robert DeBlieux. Natchitoches and Louisiana's Timeless Cane River. Baton Rouge: LSU Press, 2002.
Edward Troye (Swiss/American, 1808-1874) IDLEWILD Oil on canvas, 13.5" x 18" Signed and dated: E. Troye February 27, 1865 $10,000. - 15,000. Provenance: Painted for R. A. Alexander by family decent With Kennedy Galleries, New York With Newhouse Galleries (1972) Present Owner Literature: The Race Horses of America, Alexander MacKay Smith, pgs. 225- 226 and listed in the index of Troye's Paintings on pg. A429 The Race Horses of America: "The Year 1865 brought no slackening in the stream of Alexander commissions. A small portrait of Idlewild, 13 x 18 inches, is signed "Edw. Troye, Feb. 27, 1865.) Idlewild was a brown mare bred by W. S. Buford of Lexington and foaled in 1857 (the Stud Book date of 1859 is incorrect). She was one of Lexington's first full crop of foals and was out of Florine by Glencoe. Running in the colors of Capt. T. G. Moore, she won both her starts at 3, seven out of eight at 4, and six out of seven at 5. At the 1861 autumn meeting at the Woodlawn Course, Louisville, she won a 3 mile dash, the second running for the Woodlawn Vase. At 6 years old at the Centreville, Long Island Trotting Track, she ran four miles in 7:26 _, a world's record for a mare. She won one out of four stars at 7 and then was acquired by "Woodburn," which continued to campaign her. At Jerome Park in 1866 when she was 9, Idlewild ran fourth to Kentucky in the Inauguration Stakes on September 25th and second in the Post Stakes on October 1st. In both races she was ridden by the famous black jockey Abe Hawkins, formerly the property of Duncan Kenner. She was bred to imported Australian in 1869, producing the good racehorse and California Leading sire Wildidle. Troye painted her pointing right with her head slightly cocked to the right so as to conceal her left eye which she lost early in life. Her full sister Aerolite was the dam of Spendthrift."
Edward Troye (Swiss/American, 1808-1874) ENGLISH ECLIPSE Oil on canvas, 12" x 16 1/2" Signed and dated: E. Troye March, 1865 $10,000. - 15,000. Provenance: Painted for R. A. Alexander by family decent With Kennedy Galleries, New York Present Owner Literature: The Race Horses of America, Alexander MacKay Smith, pg. 226 The Race Horses of America: "In March 1865, Mr. Alexander had apparently run out of horses of his own for Troye to paint. Instead he asked him to copy the famous 1770 portrait of Eclipse by George Stubbs, the greatest master of the British School of Sporting Painting, now in the possession of the British Jockey Club at Newmarket. As an avowed disciple of Stubbs this must have been a particularly pleasing commission...Troye also painted a smaller version of the horse only, 12 x 16 1/2 inches." The current offering is the smaller version of the Eclipse painting with "the horse only, 12 x 16 1/2 inches" that MacKay Smith refers to on pg. 226. MacKay Smith notes on pg. 7 in The Race Horses of America that in Troye's statement of 1857 (referring to a brochure from an exhibition on Troye's Paintings of the Holy Land) that: "he commenced his profession as an animal painter after the style of Stubbs and Sartorious." While Troye may have begun his career after the style of Stubbs, by 1865 he had certainly developed a style that was all his own. However, in the present work, Troye remains faithful to Stubbs' original depiction of the great Eclipse.
Including Imp. Glencoe (pl. 8), Boston (9), Reel (10), Lexington (12), Vandel (13) and Kentucky (17). Each numbered 26 of 110, published at the Sign of the Gosden Head, New York, 1932. Frame size 23 1/4 x 25 1/4 inches.
MINNA V The portrait of Minna V was painted for Alexander John Alexander and portrays his homebred shorthorn cow in a Woodburn landscape. This piece demonstrates Troye's extraordinary gift for capturing not only the correct conformation of his subjects in a technical sense, but also his ability to portray that intangible vitality, setting him apart from his contemporaries. Minna V is well documented by Alexander Mackay-Smith in "Race Horses of America," providing insight into why A. J. Alexander, who inherited Woodburn, would choose Minna V as the subject of his first Troye commission as opposed to one of the illustrious Woodburn Thoroughbreds. Mackay-Smith describes how A. J. Alexander favored cattle over horses, and that the animals that meant the most to him personally were Woodburn homebreds. It is hardly surprising, given A. J. Alexander's preferences, that he commissioned Troye to paint the animals that had been born and bred on the grounds of Woodburn in Spring Station, Kentucky. Portraits commissioned by his older brother (R.A. Alexander) had been mostly horses he had purchased ... The only two portraits of homebreds had been Asteroid and the mare Novice. The portraits of shorthorn cattle had also been imported animals. A.J. Alexander, on the other hand, commissioned portraits of animals bred at Woodburn. While A.J. Alexander did commission Edward Troye to paint several of his homebred horses, Mackay-Smith relates a humorous demonstration of A.J. Alexander's livestock preferences, as witnessed by a visitor to Woodburn: One morning a carriage load of visitors drove into Woodburn to inspect the stud. Shortly after entering the gates, they encountered a fine looking elderly gentleman who seemed to belong to the place, as he was walking along in a leisurely manner and swinging his cane as he went. They accordingly saluted him and asked him if he would direct them to the stables where they would find certain animals they were desirous of seeing. He responded amiably, but said that he regretted his inability to do so, as he was not familiar with the racehorse department, but if they drove on, they would meet somebody who would tell them. Astonished that anyone who apparently belonged to Woodburn could not direct them to the stables of its most famous horses, known all the world over, they drove on and finally reached their objective. Then they inquired who the singular gentleman was - and learned that he was the owner of the estate.Fortunately, like his brother before him, Alexander John Alexander, was an admirer of Troye. Considering his personal taste, it was not surprising that his first commissions to the artists<br/>were for portraits of cattle. Two portraits of short horned cows are signed E. Troye, Pinxt October 1869 and E Troye, Oct. 7, 1869. Both 20.5" x 28". Both cows are red roaned. The first portrait is of Mazurka 29, 9. Mo. old. The second is of Minna V. Minna V is further listed in the The American Short Horn Record vol. 8: Minna V, Red and White calfed, July 13, 1868, bred by and the property of A J Alexander, Woodburn Farm, Spring Station, KY. Got by Royal Oxford 486, Minna II, by Duke Airdrie 171 and see vol. 6 p. 503, 1879, Feb 1, R BC Lord Minna IV, Duke of Airdrie 4978I A J Alexander. Minna V is further described in The Cultivator and Southern Gentleman; vol. 39 as "being a rich red and white color, now six years old, by Royal Oxford, by the old Duke, she is a large, wide, and level cow of mellow and elastic handling."
KENTUCKY An exceptional Lot for both collectors of Edward Troye's work and sporting art enthusiasts, it is a rare example of what the noted artist hoped would be his greatest work, "The Race Horses of America." Presented in book form, the work was to contain multiple volumes in which Troye intended to include "Portraits in oil of the stallions which have contributed most to produce the present superior turf horse of America, with a memoir giving full pedigrees, performances, and the most noted of their gets," as he described in an advertisement. His work had long been engraved for turf magazine publications and stock books, but Troye planned this project as a valuable work of art, not to mention a useful reference. His method of production was to have his portraits photographed in sepia; he would hand-paint them in oil, and sign them. Known as "oiliographs," Troye produced several images on a small scale, approximately 9" x 12", which included Boston, Lexington, American Eclipse, and Henry. His desire was to produce them on a larger scale, approximately 22" x 24," and the racehorse Kentucky was chosen as a subject. Unfortunately, Troye failed to find enough subscribers to complete his project. One of the two known examples of the larger depiction of Kentucky resides in the National Sporting Library and Museum in Middleburg, Virginia. It was exhibited in a Troye exhibit at Georgetown College in 2003. The other example is offered here. As noted by Alexander Mackay-Smith, Troye wrote, "Immediately after the Inaugural Stakes at Jerome Park, the services of Mr. Troye were secured to paint a number of portraits of Kentucky, the hero of that event." Leonard Jerome himself commissioned four portraits. One of these portraits of Kentucky would have been the basis for the work offered here; on the bottom part of this lot it is noted "Painted immediately after winning the Inaugural Stakes at Fordham. By E. Troye." In the early 20th century, Harry Worcester Smith set about writing a book detailing the life and work of Troye. He uncovered more than 150 of Troye's paintings and recorded first-hand accounts of the artist's life. In his research Smith discovered The Race Horses of America project after meeting Troye's daughter. In Smith's notes he refers to a discovered Kentucky image: "There has recently been found in Lexington, Ky., a colored photograph of the picture of Kentucky, 22" x 24", with title, signed and dated, 'Troye, 1867.'" Worchester Smith's extensive research was continued by Alexander Mackay-Smith, who completed the book known today as "The Race Horses of America, 1832-1872, Portraits and Other Paintings by Edward Troye." The National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame inductee Kentucky was bred by John M. Clay, son of Henry Clay, at his Ashland Stud. After winning his initial start, the son of legendary Lexington was sold to John Hunter, the first chairman of The Jockey Club. Partners William R. Travers and George Osgood were brought in on the colt. After only one loss Kentucky went undefeated in his next 20 starts, including the inaugural running of the Travers Stakes. Leonard Jerome purchased Kentucky in 1866 for $40,000, an enormous sum at the time. Kentucky sired the champion filly Woodbine and several other notable stakes winners.
'Reality' in a Wooded Landscape Oil on canvas, 21" x 25"Signed and dated July 1833$40,000. - 50,000.Reality, by Sir Archy out of Old Medley, was owned by William Johnson, who often claimed that the mare was the equal to her great sire Sir Archy on the Turf. Indeed, Reality was one of the greatest turf mares of the 19th century. Reality also was successful as a broodmare, producing Johnson's Medley, Slender, and Bonnets o' Blue.There are several known paintings of Reality in a similar landscape, but they are all dated 1835. The present work is signed "E. Troye July 1833," and Troye would go on to paint Reality at least twice more, according to Alexander Mackay-Smith. Based upon the date of July 1833, the present painting was most likely painted for owner Johnson when Troye was completing a series of commissions (including Golliah and Trifle) all dating between June and August of that year. (Key Words: Thoroughbred Horse Racing, Polo, Steeplechase, Fox Hunting, Shooting, Fishing, African Wildlife, Western)
American Eclipse Oil on canvas, 25" x 30" Signed and dated April 1834 $30,000. - 40,000.Key Words: (Thoroughbred Horse Racing, Polo, Steeplechase, Fox Hunting, Shooting, Fishing, African Wildlife, Western)
LexingtonOil on board, on photographic base 8 3⁄4" x 11 1⁄2" $3,000. - 4,000.Now an icon of the Bluegrass region, Lexington, the Thoroughbred, reigned supreme as 16-time leading sire between 1861 and 1878. Among the first inductees into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 1955, Lexington's fame and importance continue today with his likeness gracing the top of Pimlico's Woodlawn Vase. Additionally, both Belmont Park and Keeneland feature races named in his honor. (Key Words: Thoroughbred Horse Racing, Polo, Steeplechase, Fox Hunting, Shooting, Fishing, African Wildlife, Western )
(Kentucky/Switzerland, 1808-1874)Ruby, signed lower left "E. Troye" and titled on label and stretcher, oil on canvas, partial old label verso for Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, Albright Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York,10-7/8 x 12-3/4 in.; 20th century painte
Limited edition hand colored prints after paintings by Edward Troye from the originals in the collection of The Jockey Club, published & copyrighted at the Sign of the Gosden Head, New York, 1932. Numbered 100/110. Each print is hand numbered and embossed with a medallion. Troye is considered America's foremost 19th Century horse painter. The collection includes Plate 1 (Sir Archy); Plate 2 (American Eclipse); Plate 4 (Bertrand); Plate 6 (Imp. Tranby); Plate 7 (Trifle); Plate 9 (Boston); Plate 13 (Vandal); Plate 15 (Imp. Australian); Plate 17 (Kentucky); Plate 18 (Ruthless). All housed in modern black wood frames. SIZE: Sight: 18" x 22-1/2". PROVENANCE: Robert Frederick Woolworth Estate, Monmouth, Maine. (F.W. Woolworth Store). CONDITION: Generally very good. 9-23520
EDWARD TROYE (American, 1808-1874) PORTRAIT OF THE HORSE "MANSARD". Outstanding oil on canvas portrait of a brown horse wearing a leather saddle with draped leopard skin covering. The American horse, standing on a rock and grass ground with mountains and water background. Signed on back of stretcher "Edward Troye 1854" and "Mansard". Possibly signed lower left which is very hard to see. Housed in a fine reproduction gilt frame with gilt liner. SIZE: 20" x 26". CONDITION: Relined, one small puncture in bottom left, restored with inpainting, craquelure. 9-73775
AMERICAN, 1808-1874 MAJOR WINFIELD measurements 31 by 39 in. alternate measurements 78.7 by 99.1 cm signed E. Troye, dated 1870, and inscribed indistinctly (lower right) oil on canvas PROVENANCE Colonel Adam Lilburn, New York (acquired directly from the artist) Sold: Alderfer's Auction Gallery, Hatfield, Pennsylvania, March 3, 2004, lot 303, illustrated LITERATURE Alexander Mackay-Smith, The Race Horses of America 1832-1872 Portraits and Other Paintings by Edward Troye, Saratoga Springs, 1981, pp. 327, 328, 380, 434
signed and dated E. Troye/ April/ 1834 lower right oil on canvas PROVENANCE Alexander Keene Richards Mrs. Keene Richards, by 1881 Acquired from the above, 1921 LITERATURE AND REFERENCES A. Mackay-Smith, The Race Horses of America 1832-1872, Portraits and Other Paintings by Edward Troye, 1982, p. 413, illustrated p. 23
signed E Troye and indistinctly dated, l.r. oil on canvas Condition Note: Canvas is lined. SURFACE: in generally good condition; fine, stable craquelure throughout UNDER ULTRA VIOLET: minor looking spots of scattered inpainting--most of it in sky area; a couple of spots on horse's neck and a couple on his rear leg We are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described in our catalogue. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSION CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE. PROVENANCE John Cox Stevens, Hoboken (president of the Union Course during the Great North-South Match Race, 1823) By descent in the family to the present owner CATALOGUE NOTE Born in 1814 on the Long Island farm of General Nathanial Coles, American Eclipse was one of the 19th century's most famous American race horses. He was named after a legendary English stallion, when, as a colt he displayed unusual speed and power. His most famous victory was the Great North-South Match Race in 1823 at the new Union Race Course (built in 1821 about three miles from the current Aqueduct course) on Long Island. By the time he entered stud in 1824, he had had an undefeated racing career of five seasons and earnings of $25,000. He died in 1847 and sired a number of important race horses. Both Alvan Fisher and Edward Troye painted several portraits of the legendary racer. One of Troye's hangs in the National Sporting Library in Middleburg, Virginia.
