Waddington Galleries, London, where acquired by the family of the present owner, 9th March 1987

London, Beaux Arts, Elisabeth Frink, 7th June - 8th July 2006, illustrated (another cast).

Edward Lucie-Smith, Elisabeth Frink, Sculpture Since 1984 and Drawings, Art Books International, 1994, cat. no.18, illustrated (another cast);
Annette Ratuszniak (ed.), Elisabeth Frink, Catalogue Raisonné of Sculpture 1947-93, Lund Humphries in association with the Frink Estate and Beaux Arts, London, 2013, cat. no.FCR349, illustrated p.172 (another cast).

Structurally sound. There is very minor surface dirt and minor traces of dust to the crevices but 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."

Frink had developed the theme of the lying down horse from the early 1970s, capturing, as in the small and delicate wax works of Degas, the subtle nuances of the animal's changing poses and positions, and the very personable nature of the gentle creatures. Begun in 1976, the Horse in the Rain series occupied the artist for a little under a decade, with the present work forming the last in the series. In the works Frink captured the animals at rest, with an eloquent resignation to the downpour, through a fast-paced technique that gives a sense less of a studied academic approach and instead of a basic, grass-route understanding of the very essence of the animal. As Julian Spalding comments: ‘She knew everything about horses, and had the ability to sculpt them with both broad confidence and, at the same time, exacting precision’ ('Frink: Catching the Nature of Life', quoted in Annette Ratuszniak (ed.), Elisabeth Frink, Catalogue Raisonné of Sculpture 1947-93, Lund Humphries in association with the Frink Estate and Beaux Arts, London, 2013, pp.9-23, p.18).