Born in October 1843, Albert Clark was the second son of the renowned animal painter James Clark and his wife Elizabeth, who tragically passed away when Albert was still a child. Residing with his father in a modest Middlesex town in South East England, Albert commenced his artistic education under his father’s tutelage and soon began producing notable animal paintings, particularly of horses, in the 19th-century naïve style. By the age of 17, Albert had firmly established himself as a “naïve animal artist” and was first recorded under that profession on the 1861 census.
Although he created numerous portraits of cattle and dogs throughout his career, Albert’s specialty, akin to his father’s, lay in equine portraiture. The family’s association with such works was widely recognized: James painted a portrait titled “The Runaway Horse,” which he dedicated to Albert, and in later years, Albert produced his own rendition of the composition under the title “Breaking Loose,” a piece he in turn dedicated to his son William.
Acknowledged for his proficiency in painting racehorses, Albert was frequently commissioned to depict racing scenes, often including the jockey alongside the mount. Additionally, residing close to London, he frequently painted prize-winning animals from the annual Islington Horse Show near his home.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated lower left: Albert Clark, 1889
Size: 20” H x 24” W
Born in October 1843, Albert Clark was the second son of the renowned animal painter James Clark and his wife Elizabeth, who tragically passed away when Albert was still a child. Residing with his father in a modest Middlesex town in South East England, Albert commenced his artistic education under his father’s tutelage and soon began producing notable animal paintings, particularly of horses, in the 19th-century naïve style. By the age of 17, Albert had firmly established himself as a “naïve animal artist” and was first recorded under that profession on the 1861 census.
Although he created numerous portraits of cattle and dogs throughout his career, Albert’s specialty, akin to his father’s, lay in equine portraiture. The family’s association with such works was widely recognized: James painted a portrait titled “The Runaway Horse,” which he dedicated to Albert, and in later years, Albert produced his own rendition of the composition under the title “Breaking Loose,” a piece he in turn dedicated to his son William.
Acknowledged for his proficiency in painting racehorses, Albert was frequently commissioned to depict racing scenes, often including the jockey alongside the mount. Additionally, residing close to London, he frequently painted prize-winning animals from the annual Islington Horse Show near his home.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated lower left: Albert Clark, 1889
Size: 20” H x 24” W
