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Mr John Bowes's 'Daniel O'Rourke' with Frank Butler up

Harry Hall, c. 1852

John Bowes founded the Bowes Museum in his ancestral home. John Bowes’s horse ‘Daniel O’Rourke’ (‘Irish Birdcatcher’ out of ‘Forget me not’) was under 15 hands high yet John Scott and his jockey, Frank Butler thought highly of ‘the little horse’ or ‘the pony’ as they often called him. ‘Daniel O’Rourke’ started the Derby at odds of 1 to 25, well down in the betting in the field of 27 runners. Daniel O’Rourke, who came with a rush a few strides from the chair won the 1852 Derby by half a length. Hall was the predominant racehorse portraitist of his time. The artist has taken great care in the depiction of the horse portraying in great detail in the markings and likeness. Together with the detailed landscape setting this is a particularly fine equestrian painting of one of John Bowes’s most important horses.

More information

Title of artwork, date

Mr John Bowes's 'Daniel O'Rourke' with Frank Butler up, c. 1852

Date supported

2011

Medium and material

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

51.5 x 65.5 cm

Grant

7920

Total cost

18000

Content note: This object record is part of our archive and has not been updated since it was first published. It may contain inaccurate information or outdated language. Please get in touch if you think this record should be amended.

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