MARTIN STAINFORTH: AN APPRECIATION

By W. J. STEWART McKAY.

Next to a fine picture of a lovely woman there is nothing perhaps which more strongly appeals to the æsthetic sense than a picture of a splendid thoroughbred horse. This accounts, probably, for the vogue for pictures of racehorses by Herring and artists of lesser note, which existed in England during the last century.

These pictures, however, when scrutinised with the critical eye of to-day, are found to be full of inaccuracies and exaggerations. For example, many of us are more or less familiar with the style of picture frequently displayed in old English inns, and, more rarely, in our own country. The horse is almost invariably depicted as standing in a stable with a small feed-box in one corner, his muscles bulging out and his contour greatly accentuated by the aid of unaccountable lights and shades. Every animal was shown with a ridiculously small head, tapering legs and tiny feet. Again, the horse may be shown in action, galloping, his ears well back, legs stretched out to their fullest extent, and the animal a foot or more clear of the ground, while in the background a few spectators in top hats appear watching “The Devil doing his gallop.”

Still another phase in these sporting pictures was the introduction of the owner and trainer as in Hobbs’ painting of “Eclipse,” and Herring’s picture of “The Flying Dutchman,” or a number of horses racing in the familiar stretched-out attitude, the jockeys sitting bolt upright with arms fully extended. In the background are seen the winning post and a long line of excited spectators.

The greater skill of present-day artists, coupled with the advent of the cinematograph (which has provided them with the means of studying the horse in motion), has been responsible for some wonderfully accurate and lifelike portrayals of the more prominent of our equine celebrities. It may be said with little fear of contradiction, that among latter day artists, few, if any, have been more successful in horse portraiture than Martin Stainforth. His pictures usually represent a horse as possessed of irreproachable manners, standing quite still, and of exemplary docility. But when he leaves this favourite pose and gives us the racehorse in action his art achieves supreme heights.

An Englishman by birth, Stainforth came to this country in 1909 and now claims to have served a sufficient period of probation to entitle him to be an Australian by adoption. A year or so of station life with his cousin in North Queensland inspired him with such enthusiasm for the outdoor life and our genial climate that a return to London was out of the question, so he decided to come to Sydney, there to indulge a long-cherished ambition to paint Australia’s thoroughbreds for which he had conceived so warm an admiration.

I am the fortunate possessor of Stainforth’s picture of “Artilleryman” finishing in his memorable Melbourne Cup. The horse is shown going at top speed, quite off the ground, with his legs well under him. The drawing is absolutely correct, and shows that there is at least one phase of the gallop which is graceful and sightly. But his finest interpretation of the moving horse is to be seen in his great picture of the most exciting finish in a classic race ever seen at Randwick. It was a memorable meeting of four champions in the Craven Plate of 1918, when the faithful Cetigne, ridden by Albert Wood, forced his way through a chance opening at the last moment and snatchedvictory from the brilliant Wolaroi, the hardy Estland, and the consistent Desert Gold. The canvas brings the scene back to all of us who witnessed the event so vividly that we live those few intense seconds over again; we do not see the impossible horses depicted by Herring; we see four horses, lifelike in the fidelity of their pictured action, and each horse an entity in itself. In a fast and close finish the eye cannot distinguish minute details of the struggling horses, and the painter, cognisant of this, does not attempt that detail which he would portray if he were painting a stationary and specially posed horse. His chief object is to convey the impression of rapid movement. That is the essential, and he has achieved this with such consummate art that the picture is a classic among racing paintings. In Australia the horse is a national asset, and in the Craven Plate picture Stainforth has endeavoured to depict for posterity the most outstanding and memorable classic event in the annals of our turf history. By his signal success he has earned the thanks of all lovers of a good horse.

Stainforth’s art, however, is not confined to the painting of horses alone. As an exponent of that now almost forgotten art, wood engraving, he has proved himself a master. Both Lord Leighton and Sir John Millais, as Presidents of the Royal Academy, selected some of his work for the Exhibitions at Paris, Berlin and Brussels as the best examples of the English engraver’s art. He also exhibited at the Royal Academy on many occasions and has achieved considerable success as an illustrator for the principal English magazines. But his best work as an engraver is to be found, perhaps, in the illustrations to Grant Allen’s “Evolution of Art.” Much of Stainforth’s present-day skill as a painter of horses is no doubt due to the patience and attention to detail with which he became imbued as an exponent of the engraver’s art.

One has only to study his “Head of Trafalgar” to realise that he holds a high place among the great painters of animals. This work is a wonderfully lifelike and faithful reproduction of the erstwhile turf idol. The head is framed in bold relief by the shadow of the empty box, a look of expectancy is in the eyes, and our attention is irresistibly drawn to the well-shaped ears and the long, white blaze that so many of us have watched with anxious hearts as the game old battler was commencing his characteristic finishing run to victory. Note how beautifully the cheek fades away to a neck, whose glossy sheen covers smooth rolls of muscles. Surely his nostrils move, and the old horse breathes again! If Landseer had painted no picture but his “Fighting Dogs Getting Wind,” a work which he executed when quite a young man, that effort alone would have raised him to the first rank of animal painters. And without hesitation I claim that Stainforth’s “Head of Trafalgar” is one of the finest studies of the horse in existence, and, as an experienced student of sporting pictures, I declare that his “Craven Plate” is the greatest racing picture ever painted.

Recently I stood before his “Poitrel,” that great horse whose achievements almost equalled the mighty Carbine. He stands on a trimmed plot of grass with a wall at the rear, his shapely, ruddy chestnut form in such clear relief that we realise at a glance how this strong fellow won a Melbourne Cup with ten stone on his back. He stands poised in his virile beauty of pliant muscles and shining coat, a splendid specimen of the thoroughbred—truly a picture that will bring delight to future generations of horse-lovers. Such a picture should belong to the Nation.

DUKE FOOTE (1). Bay Horse, 1907, by Sir Foote (imp.)—Ortelle (imp.). Winner of £14,069, and a high-class horse. Now at his owner’s (Mr. John Brown) Will’s Gully Stud, N.S.W. From a painting of the horse, at the age of 5 years, in the possession of Dr. Stewart McKay.

DESERT GOLD (2). Bay Mare, 1912, by All Black (imp.)—Aurarius. Winner of £23,133, and one of the best mares bred in Australasia. Now at her owner’s (Mr. T. H. Lowry) stud in New Zealand. From a sketch of the mare, at the age of 5 years, in the possession of the artist.

MALT KING (5). Ches. Horse, 1906, by Maltster—Patrona. A very brilliant horse, winning £12,663, including All-Aged Stakes, Sires Produce Stakes, Metropolitan Hcap., etc. Retired to his owners’ (Messrs. J. E. and C. H. Brien) stud in 1913, and his progeny include Maltgilla, Green Malt, Hawker, Pannikin, etc. From a painting of the horse, at the age of 5 years, presented to the A.J.C. by Mr. J. E. Brien.

BIPLANE (3). Brown Horse, 1914, by Comedy King (imp.)—Air Motor. Winner of £13,596, including A.J.C. and V.R.C. Derbies, Craven Plate, etc. Retired to the stud in 1922. Raced by Mr. G. D. Greenwood (N.Z.) and now owned by Mr. T. A. Stirton, Dunlop Stud, Merriwa. From a sketch of the horse, at the age of 3 years, in the possession of Mrs. H. Gordon.

THE WELKIN (19). Brown Horse, 1904, by Flying Fox—Woodbury. Imported in 1910. A brilliant sprinter and a phenomenal stud success. Premier sire of Australia for 1921–22. Among his progeny are Gloaming, Furious, Thrice, Rosina, Isa, Three, etc. Standing at the Melton Stud, Victoria, the property of Mr. E. E. D. Clarke. From a sketch of the horse at the age of 16 years in the possession of the artist.

CAGOU (13). Brown Horse, 1909, by Ayr Laddie (imp.)—Tartar. Winner of £15,514, including A.J.C. Metropolitan Handicap (twice). Owned by Mrs. O. C. Flemmich, and now at the stud in Queensland. From a painting of the horse at the age of 7 years, now in the possession of Mrs. Flemmich.

GREENSTEAD (4*). Brown Horse, 1914, by The Welkin (imp.)—Tuning Fork. Winner of £12,450, including A.J.C. Epsom Hcap., etc. Now at the stud in N.S.W. From a painting of the horse, at the age of 6 years, in the possession of Mrs. F. Body.

BEAUFORD (18). Brown Gelding, 1916, by Beau Soult—Blueford. Winner in 1922 of 8 races and £11,390 up to the date of publication. One of the most brilliant horses of recent years. Raced by his breeder, Mr. W. H. Mackay, Sydney. From a painting of the horse, at the age of 6 years, in the possession of the artist.

MARTIN STAINFORTH sketching the famous Poitrel. The artist when preparing for a painting, inspects the horse and makes written notes and slight sketches.

A couple of pages reproduced actual size from Martin Stainforth’s note-book. He makes detailed notes of outstanding features and carefully preserves the general character of the horse.

At his studio he makes a memory sketch of the horse as it impressed him. On a second visit he corrects various parts and paints these separately until the character is secured.

With his note-book, his rough sketch and careful studies of various parts, the artist proceeds to paint the finished picture, using the rough sketch as his main guide.

By this method the artist obtains freshness, virility and truth that could not be secured if a complete painting were attempted from an animal in training.

“Ready,” a sketch by Martin Stainforth in the National Art Gallery of N.S.W. In the original of this sketch Martin Stainforth has displayed excellent technique, and shows his facility for painting animals in a lifelike manner.

In his paintings of dogs the same extreme care is shown to preserve the character of the animal. Pal, the bull dog sketched above, is owned by Mrs. Herbert Marks.

In this picture Martin Stainforth has successfully overcome the problem of painting an eight-year-old setter as it would have appeared at the age of three. The dog, Mallwyd Albert, is owned by Dr. Herbert Marks.

There have been a few men in Australia who could both draw and paint the horse. One of them was Douglas Fry. I knew him well, and had every opportunity of examining his work. As a draughtsman he was fine. His pencil studies of horses showed expert facility, yet when he employed colour as his medium, though he produced an artistic study, the animal often lacked that lifelike quality so essential to a successful portrait. Stainforth may not be able to do with the pencil what Fry could, and I am sure he doesn’t know the horse as Fry did, yet he far out-distances his late rival, not only in his facility for technical expression and in his gift for infusing life, but because he has the power to delicately handle his subject without robbing it of its strength and character.

Aylyng Arnold, who from 1906 to 1910 was a special correspondent for the “London Sporting Life,” happened to be visiting Australia in 1915 and saw some of our artist’s work in Melbourne. He did not know Stainforth, but he went back to his hotel and wrote him a letter in which the following words occur: “I can confidently say I have seen as many portraits of horses as falls to the lot of any one man, but never have I seen anything approaching yours.”

It is surprising to find how few notable Australian horse-owners have a sufficient affection for their animals to desire their portraiture in paint.

I once asked Stainforth to give me some idea of his methods. He replied that he first examines the horse carefully, making small pencil sketches with remarks on characteristic features, and then, with the impressions fresh in his mind, makes a small sketch in colour from 8 to 12 inches in size, giving as far as possible the pose, proportions and colour, without any attempt at fine detail. This study is then compared with the horse, and any alterations that are necessary are made, and further notes are made all round the study. In some cases he makes several sketches, each one getting nearer the perfect representation. The head is the part that requires the greatest care, and many studies of this alone may have to be made before he is satisfied with the results. Having decided the size of the canvas, he next decides on the pose which will best suggest the character of the subject and the direction from which the light will fall to show to best advantage such salient features as the head, shoulders or quarters. An appropriate background has also to be chosen.

When we come to sum up the merits of Martin Stainforth as a painter of horses, the first point which must be conceded in his favour is his power for conveying a faithful delineation of the particular animal that he is dealing with. He possesses a gift for detecting a horse’s chief characteristics and is thus enabled to interpret anything in the animal’s conformation that is vital in helping to make the completed work an accurate portrait, in addition to its being an agreeable work of art. As regards his medium, he is equally at home in either water-colour or oils, but he tells me that oils give him much more scope for his large pictures, while water-colour is more suitable for his small studies. His technique has reached such a pitch that he can paint a horse’s coat with such fine detail and beauty of texture that it resembles the work of a painter of miniatures.

Stainforth’s love for the horse helps him to strike the ideal pose for each particular animal, and this is most happily shown in his studies of the brilliant Woorak, who was noted for his exuberant spirits and playful, contented nature. Perhaps there is nothing more difficult to achieve in painting a horse than the successful suggestion of his muscular body by means of delicate light and shade. The ordinary painter of the horse generally represents exaggerated muscles, but in Stainforth’s horses, though we do not actually see muscles brought into relief, we are nevertheless made aware of their presence under the glossy skin with its vivid sheen.

The reproductions of Stainforth’s pictures included in this volume will serve in a great measure to prove to the public generally his calibre as a painter of the horse. Those of us, however, who have had the pleasure of studying his work in the originals, have every confidence in allowing posterity to judge of his merits. Certain it is, that at no distant date his pictures will be acclaimed and much sought after as classic examples of equine portraiture.

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