Sale, Christie's London, 13th June 1986, lot 308, where acquired by the present owner

Bryan Robertson (intro.), Elisabeth Frink Sculpture, Harpvale Books, Salisbury, 1984, cat. no.213, illustrated p.183 (another cast);
Annette Ratuszniak, Elisabeth Frink, Catalogue Raisonné of Sculpture 1947-93, Lund Humphries in association with the Frink Estate and Beaux Arts, London, 2013, cat. no.FCR241, illustrated p.127 (another cast).

Structurally sound. There is very minor surface dirt and matter to the crevices, visible upon very close inspection. This excepting the work appears in excellent overall condition. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The theme of horses became a key point throughout Frink’s career, whether stemming from her Suffolk upbringing, a county famed for its association with perhaps the greatest equestrian artist of the Twentieth Century, A.J. Munnings, or from her move in 1967 to the Camargue region in Southern France, with its celebrated herds of semi-wild horses. As Frink recalled 'I actually bought a horse, not having ridden myself for years – I bought one for my son to ride. So then I had a horse about. I used to go down to Camargue and ride with the local cowboys” (Frink, quoted in Edward Lucie-Smith (ed.), Frink: A Portrait, Bloomsbury, London, 1994, p.50). A keen rider, Frink had a thorough understanding of the nature of the animals, and used their position as a longstanding motif in Western art, no doubt further inspired by the cave paintings at Lascaux. 

Frink had a thorough understanding of the nature of the horse; their subtle characteristics and changing moods, a hanging head or the flick of a mane, and animates them with a very personal, tender approach. They become more than subjects, and take on very human characteristics, aided further by her later introduction of the rider figure, displaying the intimate link and ultimate co dependence between man and beast. Frink’s Horse and Rider, much like her later horsemen works, have a distinct feeling of existing out of time, echoing the long history of mankind’s connection with the horse. Stripped of the trappings and dress that would tie it to an era, and connected bareback without stirrups or bridal, the present work captures the trust and dependence between horse and rider, and is a testament to the lifelong passion she felt towards th൩e animals.