Artist unknown (American, 19th century)
Rysdyk's Hambletonian
INV-7236
Artist unknown (American, 19th century)After 1876
Rysdyk's Hambletonian
Artist unknown (American, 19th century) →Folk Artpaintingamerican arts
Date
After 1876
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
63.5 × 76.2 cm (25 × 30 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Rudyard Boulton
Although the artist who created this work is not known, the story it depicts was widely popular in the mid-19th century. The painting portrays William Rysdyk, a farm laborer in Chester, New York, standing next to his prized horse. Named Hambletonian, the colt became a celebrated racer and produced generations of winning horses, bringing wealth and fame to its owner. Portraits of Rysdyk and Hambletonian proliferated, some in oil and others as print reproductions. This composition is similar to several lithographs published in the 1860s and broadly circulated in 1876, the year of Hambletonian’s death. The artist may have seen one of these prints and followed it closely to create this painting.
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