Oil on Board | English Sporting Fox Hunt Steeplechase in Gilt Frame

Charming sporting oil painting on wood panel depicting a lively English fox hunt or steeplechase. A field of mounted riders races across open countryside and tackles a timber fence, while the foreground captures the comic chaos of the hunt: a horse has somersaulted into a ditch, throwing its rider headfirst to the ground.

The painting is particularly appealing for its narrative quality and sense of movement. Horses and riders are individually rendered across several planes, with the dramatic mishap in the foreground creating an unusually animated and humorous sporting scene. Muted greens, ochres and browns contrast with the pale blue-gray sky and traditional black, white and russet riding attire.

Executed in oil on wood board and presented in a wide gilt wood frame with an intentionally aged surface. The exposed wood panel visible from the reverse and the painting technique suggest a vintage rather than contemporary decorative work. I would conservatively describe it as mid-20th century, likely after an earlier British sporting image, unless further provenance or a signature establishes an earlier date.

Dimensions:
Board: 10" W × 6¾" H
Frame: 12 1/2" L x 9 1/4" H x 1" D