The artist who whispered and painted horses.


One of the pictorial subjects that many British people love is horses, and especially thoroughbreds. Without doubt, the best artist in this field was Sir Alfred James Munnings (1878-1959), President of the Royal Academy. Nowadays it would be difficult to acquire one of his artworks if it is not by offering a high bid in an auction house. Yet it is possible to find paintings of horses by other artists at markets such as the one in Portobello Road. In one of my searches on Friday I found a small watercolor signed by a British artist named Janet Apps.



Although untitled, the painting could be labelled "Two horses behind a fence", and is an original watercolour on paper signed by the artist (c.1972). I acquired this artwork at a stall in Golborne on June 5, a few days before Royal Ascot 2020.


On the back panel of the frame I found a personal dedication signed by the artist herself: "Many Thanks for your care and attention. Janet Apps".


 


There is little information about this artist, although it seems that she specialised in painting horses. In the early 1970s she published drawings of Mill Reef and his descendants in a numbered and signed printed edition. Mill Reef was a thoroughbred horse, 12 times horse racing champion between 1970 and 1972. It was very famous in the United Kingdom, only losing two races in which it finished second. Janet Apps drew it with its sons, also champions in different horse races, selling hundreds of prints. Apps painted other champion thoroughbreds of the 1970s and early 1980s, such as Acamas and Glint of God, illustrations which were also published as prints.




The immortal Mill Reef, by Janet Apps.

In my next post I will talk about another original watercolour found at Portobello Road market, also by a woman artist. Her story is one of the most surprising and touching in this blog.


Ubicación: Portobello Rd, London, Reino Unido

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