British Equestrian Oil Painting Ariostar Winning the Granville Stakes, Royal Ascot 1947” – Oil on Board, In the Manner of Lionel Edwards This is an original Late 20th-century oil painting on canvas board, dating to around the 1970s, depicting the racehorse Ariostar winning the Granville Stakes at Royal Ascot on 19 June 1947. Painted in the classic British sporting tradition and very much in the manner of Lionel Edwards, it combines strong narrative detail with an easy, painterly touch. The medium is oil on prepared canvas board, which has aged attractively over time. The colours have gently mellowed while retaining enough brightness in the jockey’s silks and the elegant summer crowd to keep the scene lively and engaging. Composition and Style The racecourse is arranged on a sweeping diagonal that carries the eye towards the distant grandstands, trees and winning post. Ariostar is shown clearly in front by several lengths, with the following field receding convincingly into the distance, emphasising her dominance. In the foreground, rails and viewing boxes create the feeling of looking down from an elevated vantage point, perhaps from the Royal Enclosure or a private box. The crowd is suggested with deft touches of colour rather than fussy detail: dark coats and grey top hats for the gentlemen, flashes of red, blue, yellow and green for the ladies’ dresses and hats. This impressionistic handling gives a strong sense of movement, noise and excitement without overworking the surface. The horses and jockeys are treated with more precise brushwork. Heads, legs and tack are clearly articulated, conveying speed, balance and correct movement, very much in line with the British sporting art tradition. The softly modulated sky, in creams, greys and pale blue, suggests an English summer’s day with shifting light rather than harsh, bright sun. Overall, the picture offers enough accuracy to satisfy the racing enthusiast and enough looseness and atmosphere to appeal to collectors of decorative and impressionist-leaning sporting art. Ariostar and the Granville Stakes Ariostar was a bay filly foaled in 1945, by Solario out of Co-Star. She enjoyed a brief but high-quality racing career and is best remembered for finishing a close second in the 1948 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, beaten only a head in a dramatic Classic finish. That performance firmly places her among the better fillies of her generation. According to the original inscription on the reverse, this painting records her victory in the Granville Stakes at Royal Ascot on 19 June 1947, as a two-year-old. The artist has chosen the decisive moment, with Ariostar surging past the post and clear daylight visible between her and the chasing pack. For racing historians, this offers a tangible visual link to post-war Ascot form; for decorative buyers, it provides a genuine story to tell. Being able to say the pictured horse later ran second in the 1000 Guineas elevates the piece well beyond a generic racing scene. The Artist The painting is signed lower right, “Gladys Harrison”. Harrison was a 20th-century British artist whose work is relatively scarce and only now beginning to be more fully documented. This Royal Ascot subject is one of the better-recorded examples of her output and shows a confident understanding of both equine anatomy and complex crowd composition. Her style here is clearly in the manner of Lionel Edwards: the horses are drawn with care and correctness, while the surrounding crowd and landscape are treated more freely to create atmosphere. The combination of strong observation and painterly vigour places the work comfortably within the mid-20th-century British sporting tradition, while still retaining an individual voice. For collectors, it has the appeal of a “discovery” piece by a named but not over-exposed artist, with a highly attractive subject. Historical Interest Royal Ascot is one of Britain’s great racing and social institutions, closely associated with the Royal Family since the 18th century. By 1947, Britain was emerging from the austerity of the Second World War, and major race meetings such as Ascot symbolised continuity, tradition and a welcome return to sociability and style. This painting captures more than a winning horse: it offers a snapshot of post-war British social history. Top hats and morning coats, colourful summer dresses, packed stands and a carefully prepared course are all set against the backdrop of renewed optimism. Hung on the wall, it reads as both an equestrian picture and a small window into Royal Ascot life in the late 1940s. Signature, Inscription and Provenance Signed lower right: Gladys Harrison Inscribed on the reverse: “Ariostar winning the Granville Stakes Royal Ascot June 19th 1947.” The painting bears the stamp of Dick Abbott, Pictures, Framing & Mounts, Isaaccsons, 6 High Street, Burwell, confirming professional framing and early retail handling. It later passed through the notable auction house Cheffins, Cambridge, before entering the collection of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD. This clear chain – from framer to auction house to present collection – provides reassuring provenance for both artist and subject. Frame The work is presented in a traditional gilt frame which suits the subject extremely well. The gently profiled moulding draws the eye inward, and the warm gold tone complements the greens of the turf and the mixed colours of figures and flags. It has the look of a piece that might have hung for years in a trainer’s office, a racecourse committee room or a country house study. A hanging thread is attached to the reverse, so it is ready to hang. Dimensions Framed measurements: Height: 54 cm (approx. 21.3 in) Width: 69 cm (approx. 27.2 in) Depth: 3.3 cm (approx. 1.3 in) A very versatile size: large enough to make a statement above a desk, fireplace or sideboard, yet easy to place in a study, hallway or smaller sitting room. Why It Works Well in an Interior A true conversation piece: not just “a horse picture”, but a documented Royal Ascot winner who later placed in a Classic race. Unites art, racing history and British social tradition in a single, highly decorative work. Warm palette, classic gilt frame and comfortable mid-century date make it easy to integrate into traditional, country-house, racecourse-inspired or eclectic interiors.