19th Century Oil Painting Derby Winner Horse Melton & Jockey Fred Archer Up





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Description


Victorian 19th Century Oil Painting Derby Winner Melton with Champion Jockey Fred Archer Up by F. S. Evans (1885)

Subject & Medium
An exceptional and historically important Victorian oil painting on canvas, painted in 1885 by the accomplished British sporting artist F. S. Evans, depicting the celebrated Derby and St. Leger winner Melton with the legendary Champion Jockey Fred Archer mounted. This remarkable equestrian portrait commemorates one of the defining moments in nineteenth-century British horse racing and captures the prestige, elegance and sporting tradition of the Victorian Turf at its zenith.
Executed during the very year of Melton’s greatest triumphs, the painting is a superb example of late Victorian sporting art and demonstrates Evans’s accomplished understanding of equine anatomy, portraiture and atmospheric landscape. It sits firmly within the grand British sporting tradition associated with Harry Hall and John Frederick Herring Sr., whose celebrated racehorse portraits remain among the finest examples of the genre.

Composition & Technique
Evans portrays Melton standing proudly in full side profile before the sweeping Norfolk landscape surrounding Lord Hastings’ Melton Constable estate. The horse’s gleaming bay coat is beautifully modelled with subtle tonal variations, carefully capturing the play of light across powerful musculature, defined tendons and elegant proportions.
Every detail has been observed with remarkable precision, from the finely painted eyelashes and expressive eye to the polished leather tack and burnished saddle. Fred Archer sits confidently in the saddle wearing his distinctive racing colours, his composed posture reflecting the supreme confidence that made him Britain’s dominant jockey throughout the Victorian era.
Beyond the figures, Evans opens the landscape beneath an expansive cloud-filled sky, balancing the intimacy of the portrait with the grandeur of the English countryside. His restrained palette, refined brushwork and careful observation create a harmonious composition characteristic of the finest Victorian sporting paintings.

Signed
Signed and dated 1885 by F. S. Evans in the lower corner. The same work is recorded by the National Trust as signed bottom right “F S EVANS / 1885.”

About the Artist
Although relatively little documentary information survives concerning F. S. Evans, his known works demonstrate an accomplished sporting artist working during the golden age of British equestrian painting. Evans specialised in portraits of celebrated racehorses, displaying an exceptional understanding of equine anatomy, proportion and movement.
His work follows the distinguished lineage established by George Stubbs, Benjamin Marshall, John Frederick Herring Sr., Harry Hall and John Ferneley, artists whose commissions documented Britain’s greatest Thoroughbreds for aristocratic owners throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
A related Evans painting of Melton is held in the National Trust Collection at Seaton Delaval Hall, underlining the historical importance of his surviving work.

About Fred Archer
Frederick James Archer (1857–1886) is widely regarded as the greatest jockey of the Victorian era and one of the finest riders in the history of British horse racing. He was Champion Jockey from 1874 to 1886, rode 2,748 winners, and won the Derby five times and the St Leger six times. His 1885 season was especially remarkable, including major victories on Melton.
Known throughout Britain as “The Tin Man,” Archer became famous for his tactical intelligence, supreme balance and fierce professionalism. His riding transformed racecraft into a modern discipline, and owners often considered him indispensable when a horse was being aimed at a major race. Despite unparalleled success, Archer’s life ended tragically in 1886 at only twenty-nine years of age, forever cementing his status as one of the most legendary figures in British sporting history.

About Melton
Foaled in 1882, Melton was bred by George Manners Astley, 20th Baron Hastings, from the distinguished bloodlines of Master Kildare and Violet Melrose. Trained by the legendary Mathew Dawson at Newmarket, Melton developed into one of Britain’s greatest Thoroughbreds, winning eleven of his eighteen races. His principal victories included the Derby Stakes at Epsom in 1885, the St Leger Stakes in 1885, the July Cup, the New Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Middle Park Plate.
Melton’s 1885 Derby and St Leger victories secured his place among the outstanding Classic winners of the Victorian period. After retirement he became an influential stallion, standing in both Britain and Italy and extending his bloodline into international Thoroughbred breeding.

Historical Context
This painting commemorates one of the defining moments of nineteenth-century British sporting history. The year 1885 represented the pinnacle of Melton’s racing career and one of the most celebrated seasons of the Victorian Turf. Under the ownership of Lord Hastings and ridden by Fred Archer, Melton secured victories in both the Derby and the St Leger, establishing himself amongst Britain’s greatest Classic winners.
Portraits of famous racehorses were prestigious commissions during the Victorian period, often commissioned by aristocratic owners to commemorate important victories and preserve the legacy of exceptional Thoroughbreds. Such paintings adorned country houses alongside family portraits and reflected both sporting achievement and social standing.
Evans’s painting therefore serves not merely as an equestrian portrait but as a significant historical record of one of Britain’s most celebrated horse-and-rider partnerships. A closely related Evans portrait of Melton survives in the National Trust Collection, which further reinforces the standing of this image within British sporting art.

Frame
Presented in its impressive original late Victorian gilt moulded frame, retaining its period character and decorative elegance. Richly ornamented with classical mouldings and finished beneath its original protective glass, the frame perfectly complements the grandeur of the sporting subject while enhancing the painting’s visual impact.
The warm gilt tones harmonise beautifully with Melton’s lustrous bay coat and the subtle colours of the Norfolk landscape, creating a refined presentation typical of important nineteenth-century sporting portraits commissioned for aristocratic country houses. Far more than simply a surround, the frame forms an integral part of the work’s history, preserving its authentic Victorian appearance and adding to its considerable decorative appeal.

Size Dimensions Framed
Height: 81 cm
Width: 99 cm
Depth: 2.5 cm

Provenance
From the distinguished estate of Stafford Ellerman (1928–2022). The painting was offered as Lot 1178 in Ewbank’s Silver & Fine Art Auction, Surrey, on 21 March 2024, catalogued as “F. S. Evans (British 19th century). Melton: A bay racehorse with Fred Archer (1857–1886) up,” and described as signed and dated 1885. Ewbank’s records the provenance as having passed to the vendor from the estate of the late Stafford Ellerman.
A closely related portrait of Melton by F. S. Evans is preserved within the National Trust Collection at Seaton Delaval Hall, Northumberland, providing an important institutional comparison and reinforcing the historical significance of Evans’s sporting work.
The reverse of the original canvas bears the trade stamp of Percy Young, 137 Gower Street, London. The National Portrait Gallery’s supplier directory identifies Percy Young (1854–1930) as a publisher and dealer in artists’ materials who served the Slade School of Art and described his business as a “depot for supplying the Slade School of Art with English and Foreign Artists’ Materials.” Professionally researched, catalogued and now curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD.

Literature & Comparable Examples
Comparable works by F. S. Evans depicting Melton are represented within the National Trust Collection at Seaton Delaval Hall, Northumberland, illustrating the artist’s recognised contribution to nineteenth-century British sporting art. The composition and meticulous equine portraiture place this work firmly within the distinguished British sporting tradition established by George Stubbs, Benjamin Marshall, John Frederick Herring Sr., Harry Hall and John Ferneley.
Victorian portraits celebrating Derby winners were prestigious commissions, often displayed within country houses as lasting records of sporting achievement, aristocratic patronage and exceptional Thoroughbred bloodlines. Paintings of this calibre, particularly those depicting identifiable horses and jockeys with documented provenance, are increasingly sought after by collectors of British sporting art and racing history.

Collector’s Highlights
Original Victorian oil painting dated 1885.
Depicts Melton, winner of both the Derby and St Leger Stakes.
Features legendary Champion Jockey Fred Archer.
Painted by F. S. Evans in the distinguished tradition of Harry Hall and John Frederick Herring Sr.
Excellent documented provenance and public auction history.
Comparable example held within the National Trust Collection.
Original Percy Young, London supplier’s stamp to the reverse.
A rare collector’s opportunity combining sporting history, fine art and aristocratic provenance.
Ready to hang and enjoy immediately.

​ Condition Report
Fine antique condition overall.
The painting displays attractive age-related craquelure, light foxing and minor surface wear consistent with its Victorian age. Colours remain vibrant and well preserved, with strong definition throughout the horse, rider and landscape. The original gilt frame exhibits expected age-related scuffs and minor losses while remaining structurally sound and highly decorative.
Retains hanging fixtures and is ready for immediate display.


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Reserve: $70,200.00

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