John Wootton

Lot Description John Wootton (Snitterfield, Warwickshire c. 1682-1764 London) A Race Meeting at Newmarket signed 'JWootton Fecit' ('JW' linked, lower right) oil on canvas 37 x 58¼ in. (94 x 148 cm.) Provenance By descent in the family of the Duke of Norfolk. with Leggatt Brothers, London, by 1957. The William M. Hackman Trust, until acquired by the present owner in 2006. Pre-Lot Text THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN View Lot Notes › This sweeping panorama of the Round Course at Newmarket, traditionally believed to show Frederick, Prince of Wales in the foreground, is a defining image of racing in the early 18th century. The painting is furthermore a remarkable record of the topography around Newmarket, with the various gaps in the Ditch, the buildings at the end of the Beacon Course, St Mary's Church, the windmill, Warren Hill and a few of the buildings in the town itself. We are very grateful to David Oldrey for suggesting that the race depicted is almost certainly 'The Noblemen's and Gentlemen's Contribution Stakes' of October 1724, which was run on the Round Course to the West of the Ditch and was an important event that had been transferred from the Duke of Wharton's establishment at Quainton a few years earlier. The field had started just to the right of the stables this side of the Ditch and have covered about a mile to reach the turning post in the foreground. They would have left the post shown in the middle distance near the mounted crowd on their right in getting to this point, and the crowd would have watched them pass by and is now making off in haste to watch the later stages of the race. The field would then have galloped about another mile to the North and then made a second turn to go roughly East for much the same distance before swinging South in order to race up what is now the July Course straight to the finish - some 3¾ miles in all. The finish was on the far side of the line of spectators running more or less parallel with the Ditch. The winning post with a flag on top can be seen just to the left of the stable. The race was won by the grey named Windham in the colours of the Duke of Somerset - the 'Proud Duke'. The leader in this picture is the Duke of Bolton's Sloven, which eventually came second. It is not possible to identify all the others as some of the owners' silks are unknown but the eventual fourth is Miss Hen in Thomas Panton's colours (third here), with the two bringing up the rear being the Duke of Rutland's Bonny Bay and Sir Richard Grosvenor's Shag, which finished seventh and last respectively.

JOHN WOOTEN (1682-1764) �Tregonwell Frampton Esq of Morton County, Dorset, Styled Father of the Turf� Oil on Canvas 73x60cm Oval Signed, Dated 1715 Middle Right, Titled Upper Left Frampton was keeper of the running horses at Newmarket to King William III and Queen Ann, Kings George I and II details on gilded mount.

LOT 276 JOHN WOOTTON SNITTERFIELD, WARWICKSHIRE CIRCA 1678 - 1764 LONDON PORTRAIT OF A GENTLEMAN ON HORSEBACK, PROBABLY JAMES DOUGLAS-HAMILTON, 5TH DUKE OF HAMILTON AND 2ND DUKE OF BRANDON (1703-1743), MOUNTED ON A BAY HUNTER, WITH HIS GROOM HOLDING ANOTHER HORSE BY A CLASSICAL ARCH, AND A GREYHOUND signed, centre right: J.WOOTTON / fecit, and indistinctly inscribed on an old label, verso, which bears a wax seal stamped with the Hamilton crest oil on canvas 112 by 105.5 cm.; 44 by 41 1/2 in.

LOT 38 THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN JOHN WOOTTON SNITTERFIELD, WARWICKSHIRE CIRCA 1678 - 1764 LONDON A HUNTING PARTY; POSSIBLY DEPICTING CHARLES SPENCER, 3RD DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH (1706-1758) AND HIS WIFE ELIZABETH, COUNTESS OF MARLBOROUGH (D.1761) signed, lower centre: JWootton oil on canvas 93 by 147 cm.; 36 ½ by 58 in.

LOT 65 PROPERTY FROM THE DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART SOLD TO BENEFIT THE ACQUISITIONS FUND JOHN WOOTTON SNITTERFIELD, WARWICKSHIRE CIRCA 1678 - 1764 LONDON A GROOM AND HORSE IN A LANDSCAPE WITH TWO HOUNDS signed and dated lower left: J. Wootton./Fecit 1743 oil on canvas 40 1/4 by 50 1/4 in.; 20.2 by 15 cm.