Six larger than life-size horses cast in bronze, by sculptor Hamish Mackie, will be unveiled in London this month.
Sculptor Hamish Mackie will unveil six life-and-a-quarter bronze horses at a new development in London in June. The sculptures have been commissioned by Berkeley Homes to remember the livery horses once kept at Goodman’s Fields in EC1. The horses are depicted galloping, rearing and in water at the two-acre landscaped space within walking distance of the City of London.
The best sporting art can capture the animal kingdom with dextrous skill. The equine world is particularly evocative, with the horse in art a recurring theme. Sculptor Hamish Mackie and the addition of his half-dozen horses is the latest incarnation. From Sir Alfred Munnings’ paintings, to modern artists, such as Jeremy Houghton, the horse has been rendered in stone, clay, bronze; on paper, canvas and wood. We never tire of these four-legged companions. And the graceful sextet that will soon be grazing on Goodman’s Fields are simply wonderful. Continued below…
Sir Alfred Munnings, sporting artist
Alfred Munnings is a name that every sportman wants on their wall. For the frugal a print, for the well-feathered…
Jeremy Houghton, sporting artist
Jeremy Houghton’s work is all about the spaces in between, which somehow convey the realities of the sports he depicts…
And if you prefer your horses in motion, read our feature on what makes the best hunting horse.
SCULPTOR HAMISH MACKIE’S NEW WORK
Sculptor Hamish Mackie based his selection of breeds “on power, durability and the likelihood of their being in livery”. Leading the troop is an Andalusian stallion rearing alongside a Russian x Arab horse. Half-submerged in a fountain behind them is an Irish cob; the next horses seen are two young thoroughbred x shires trying to outrun each other. Bringing up the rear is an Irish draught x warmblood, based on a 17.3hh hunter called Pinkerton. “He was a fantastic horse and I took hundreds of pictures and videos of him and toyed with the idea of him going up a bank but that was not right for him. So I turned Pinkerton into a mare, which is artistic licence,” said Hamish Mackie.
The hardest subject to find was the Arab x Russian horse, a stallion called Sambist, which won all five of Russia’s Classics.