1970s Equestrian Oil Painting of a Bay Hunter and Dog in a Stable Yard, Signed Sedgwick

A saddled bay hunter waits patiently in a sunlit stable yard in this handsome sporting painting, signed Sedgwick in the lower margin. He stands side on in the classic pose, glossy coat catching the light, a neat white blaze down his nose, with the reins looped over his neck and the stirrups run up. At his feet a rough coated dog lies in the straw gazing up at him, while wooden buckets, a pitchfork and a heap of fresh hay fill the yard. Ivy tumbles over a warm ochre wall, a red coat hangs by the stable door, and a pair of white doves sit on the roof above an arched window.

The composition follows the great tradition of English horse portraiture made famous in the 19th century by painters such as John Frederick Herring, when owners commissioned likenesses of their favourite hunters in just this kind of setting. This version dates from the 1970s or 80s, when sporting pictures in that style were hugely popular for country houses, studies and pubs, and it brings all the charm of the originals at a far friendlier price.

Painted in oil on board, it measures 62 x 52 cm including its frame. The deep carved wooden frame has a twisted rope band and a natural linen slip, and it suits the subject perfectly. There are a few tiny pale flecks on the lower part of the painting and some light wear to the frame. It is strung and ready to hang.

Hang it in a hallway with a boot rack beneath, in a study above a leather chair, or among brass and dark wood in a dining room for that country house feel. It would also make a very good present for anyone who rides, or anyone whose dog has the same look of devotion at teatime.