Is it just me or does this horse and rider look dangerously close to the ground? It looks almost as if the horse is preparing to stretch out and lay down rather than jump the fence.
But, more to the point…how much do you love the idea of a reverend named Merrythought. It brings a smile to my face each time I read it. And even though that lovable giant cartoon dog named Marmaduke wouldn’t be created for several decades after this drawing was completed, the idea of a reverend Marmaduke Merrythought is bordering on the silly.
But, perspective issues and naming issues aside, this is a lovely pencil-like sketch drawing of a rider and his horse approaching a fence. In the background we see other similarly attired riders, all participating in a fox hunt. This piece is the work of the British artist George Mason Finch. I couldn’t find much information about him other than his nationality and he was born in 1850 and died 65 years later. Based on the works I found online, he specialized in landscapes featuring horses and riders much like this one. If this horse image isn’t exactly what you need, do look around here on Reusable Art as we have several other works by Finch from his book Flowers of the Hunt as well as a lot of other wonderful artists.
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.
