Richard Green, London
Acquired from the above circa 1976

 

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This work is in lovely condition. The canvas is unlined. The paint layer is in lovely state. It is undamaged, clean and nicely varnished. Apart from a thin line of retouches in the upper left corner, there are no restorations. The work should be hung as is.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

The Newlyn School in Cornwall was comprised of a pioneering group of plein-air painters in Britain, its members drawn to the area due to its warm climate, inexpensive living and sparkling light. By 1914, when The Morning Ride was painted, there were several well established communities of artists centered around Newlyn and Lamorna, and Munnings was a very well-known personality and among the most accomplished of these artists.  

This atmospheric portrait is likely of Munnings’ friend and fellow artist, Doris H. Proctor, commonly known as 'Dod'. She also posed for Dame Laura Knight, who described her as “a charming young thing with a brilliant complexion, enormous dark eyes and long, slender legs - swift and active as a gazelle” (see Dame Laura Knight, Oil Paint and Grease Paint, 1936, pp. 161-2). Dod was born in London and studied under Stanhope Forbes in Newlyn between 1907 – 1910, before attending the Atelier Colar༺ossi in Paris. She returned to Newlyn in 1911 and married the artist, Ernest Proctor, the following year.

Munnings’ enthusiasm for the scene is clear and he has an obvious affection for the sitter, shown in three-quarter view, calm and composed astride a sturdy dappled grey and squinting as she gazes at some faraway focus. Munnings' casual approach and use of gestural brushwork suggest that he is not bound by the formal conventions of commissioned portraiture, allowing him to experiment with color and movement. The horse’s head, for example, is confidently painted with cool blue hues, while its haunches are rendered in warm browns and mauves. The brushwork is totally unruly as it describes the bush underfoot, with soft coniferous trees pointing into a clear sky th🧔at is wide and bright.