Hardback – 265 x 270 mm – 512 pages

637 colour illustrations and 114 in black and white

ISBN 9781843682363

The first book dedicated to the pioneering equine artist James Seymour, who recorded many of the great horses and races of the first Golden Age of British racing.

James Seymour (c. 1700-1752) is one of the founders of English sporting art. A lover of the Turf as much as of painting, Seymour specialised in depictions of horses and their riders, particularly at Newmarket between 1722 and 1752. His paintings and drawings have a wonderful freshness and directness; and they are also one of the most important records we have of the early greats, such as Flying Childers, and of the way racing was organised at this early stage. He also painted wonderfully vivid hunting scenes.

Richard Wills has been studying Seymour for over ten years, and this book is the first ever comprehensive account and catalogue. 130 paintings and 430 drawings, including new discoveries, are included in the book, with over 500 illustrations, many never reproduced before. The introductory essay examines the riches-to-rags life of Seymour, a man whose devotion to the Turf enabled him to lose a fortune and to gain an unrivalled knowledge of equine anatomy and behaviour. Considerable information about the history of racing, and how it has been greatly enriched by the analysis of Seymour’s paintings, is contributed by David Oldrey and Tim Cox.

James Seymour was published on 22 October 2022, the three hundredth anniversary of Flying Childers’ famous victory over Chaunter. The book is beautifully printed and bound.

A perfect present for the horse-lover, the racing enthusiast, the hunting devotee and the art aficionado alike.