Thomas Woodward Discovered: An Astonishing Encounter with Two Startled Horses
Updated: Aug 29
In my usual world of art historical discoveries, horses rarely cross my path. This time was different. In a forgotten corner of the art market, I came across a small panel that immediately caught my attention. It showed two horses on a hill in the middle of a violent thunderstorm. Lightning cuts through the sky. The horses react in panic. One rears up, while the other struggles to keep its footing.
The painter was unknown. The seller had already tried to identify the artist, but had reached a dead end. Still, the painting had a distinct character. Its dramatic subject, treatment of nature and powerful horses brought to mind the English Romantic tradition. I decided to take a chance and see if I could find out who had painted it. We quickly agreed on a price, and two days later I was on the train to Leeuwarden.
A trouvaille! Two horses in the Yale Center for British Art
To pass the time during the hours-long train journey, I began searching for similar paintings in the hope of learning more about the artwork in question. I searched using various keywords directly or indirectly related to the artwork. First, I conducted a broad search, and then I narrowed it down, something like this: "horse paintings," "19th century English horse paintings," "painting scared horses," and "Two scared horses in a thunderstorm." After scrolling through approximately five to six hundred images, primarily paintings by George Stubbs (1724-1806) and Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863), I struck gold. The collection of the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, Connecticut, housed a painting titled Horses in a Thunderstorm by the English painter Thomas Woodward (1801-1852). This work depicted the same horses in a similar composition.
Who was the British Artist Thomas Woodward?
Thomas Woodward was a painter of historical genre pieces and portraits in which horses often took center stage. Beloved by the English nobility, he quickly gained recognition in high circles, allowing him to create equestrian portraits of the British royal family, including Queen Victoria her horses. During Woodward's lifetime, his works were frequently exhibited at the Royal Academy and the British Institution. His works are represented in institutions such as Tate Britain and the Worcester City Museum.
Horses in a Thunderstorm was part of the collection of philanthropist Paul Mellon (1907-1999), who had a fondness for English equestrian painters. Coming from a wealthy banking family, Mellon had the financial resources to pursue his passions after a short stint at Mellon Bank and military service. Mellon was successful as a horse breeder, writer, served on various museum boards, and was a prominent art collector. In the 1960s, he donated a significant portion of his art collection to the Yale Center for British Art, including Horses in a Thunderstorm. Although this painting is unsigned and undated, documentation indicates that it was created by Thomas Woodward in 1823. Stylistically, this artwork fully aligns with the artist's painted oeuvre.
How to Attribute a Painting?
The resemblance between two paintings does not necessarily mean they were created by the same person, but in this case, it is indeed true. It is important to examine the hand of the master and analyze the paintings not only at a general level but also in detail. On both works, the dark skies are painted very thinly but in the same manner. The lightning bolts, subtly painted in the upper left corner, are strikingly similar and could almost go unnoticed. The horses have identical glimmers in their eyes, and the tufts of grass on the hill are finely rendered. Additionally, the support is the same, a thin wooden panel. The two paintings not only share compositional similarities but also exhibit striking resemblances in style and painting technique.
To verify the information, I reached out to the curator of the paintings department at the Yale Center for British Art. Museums rarely express opinions on the authenticity of artworks to avoid conflicts of interest. However, they cautiously shared with me their belief that the two paintings were created simultaneously in the same location. This confirmation was exactly what I wanted to hear. Currently, Horses in a Thunderstorm is not on display. When the museum schedules a horse-themed exhibition, there is a possibility that the painting will be loaned to New Haven, allowing the four horses to be reunited.
