Grisette Grey Important British Sporting Oil Painting by Herbert St. John Jones
🖼️ "Grisette" (1925)
An Important British Sporting Oil Painting signed by Herbert St. John Jones (1872–1939)
Painted from Life at Nantwich with Historical Links to the Grosvenor Sporting Sphere and the Cheshire Hunt
🎨 Subject & Medium
Artist: Herbert St. John Jones (British, 1872–1939)
Title: Grisette
Date: 19 February 1925
Medium: Oil on canvas
Painted from life at Nantwich, this exceptional British sporting oil painting depicts Grisette, a beautifully conformed flea-bitten grey hunter mare standing proudly in full profile. Executed with remarkable anatomical precision and subtle handling of colour, the painting ranks among the finest surviving examples of Herbert St. John Jones's equestrian work and early twentieth-century Cheshire sporting art.
Beautifully preserved and retaining its original titled inscription, the painting has benefited from detailed provenance research restoring its correct identity following a later cataloguing error. Earlier auction records confirm the horse's name as Grisette, not "Griselle," reuniting the work with its documented auction history and strengthening its provenance.
Executed with remarkable technical confidence and an exceptional understanding of equine anatomy, Grisette survives today not only as an outstanding sporting portrait but also as an important historical record of Cheshire's equestrian heritage during the golden age of British fox hunting.
🐎 About the Horse
Jones portrays Grisette with all the characteristics of an accomplished British hunter.
Her elegant conformation includes:
• Deep chest indicating stamina and endurance.
• Powerful hindquarters providing athletic strength.
• Clean, well-defined limbs suited to demanding hunting country.
• Refined head with an alert and intelligent expression.
• Traditionally docked tail reflecting accepted sporting presentation during the period.
The mare's distinctive flea-bitten grey coat is beautifully rendered through delicate layers of silver, cream and charcoal against a rich atmospheric background, demonstrating Herbert St. John Jones's remarkable understanding of equine anatomy and colour.
The reverse of the canvas bears the artist's original inscription:
"Painted from Life at Nantwich — H. Herbert St. John Jones — Feb. 19th, 1925."
This important inscription confirms that the portrait was painted directly from observation rather than imagined in the studio, significantly enhancing both its documentary and historical importance.
🏛️ Historical Context
This portrait was completed on 19 February 1925, at the height of the Cheshire hunting season.
During the early twentieth century, Cheshire occupied a distinguished position within British sporting society. Eaton Hall, seat of the Grosvenor family, was recognised as one of England's great country estates and a leading centre of hunting, horse breeding and equestrian culture.
Historical records confirm that Herbert St. John Jones enjoyed patronage from the Duke and Duchess of Westminster, placing him firmly within the artistic circle of one of Britain's foremost sporting families.
At the time Grisette was painted, Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster ("Bendor"), was among Britain's leading horsemen and an influential figure within the Cheshire Hunt. Jones was regularly commissioned to portray valuable hunters, carriage horses and favourite stable companions belonging to members of Cheshire's landed families.
Although no surviving documentary evidence currently identifies Grisette as a Grosvenor-owned horse, the painting's date, place of execution, quality of commission and Jones's documented relationship with the Westminster family firmly place it within the wider Grosvenor sporting sphere. It represents precisely the type of bespoke equestrian portrait commissioned by affluent sporting families whose lives revolved around the hunting culture centred upon Eaton Hall and the historic Cheshire Hunt.
For collectors of British sporting art, these historical associations considerably enrich the painting's significance while placing it within one of England's most celebrated equestrian landscapes of the inter-war period.
The historical observations, provenance research, attribution analysis and contextual commentary presented within this catalogue entry represent the professional non-guaranteed opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD, based upon careful examination of the artwork, documentary research, comparative analysis, available auction records, historical sources and the physical evidence visible at the time of inspection.
Unless supported by primary documentary evidence, statements relating to ownership, patronage, commissions or historical associations should be understood as informed professional opinions rather than definitive statements of fact. Future documentary discoveries may further refine current scholarship.
🖌️ About the Artist
Herbert St. John Jones (1872–1939) worked from his respected studio on Hospital Street, Nantwich, where he established himself as one of North-West England's leading painters of horses, livestock and rural sporting life.
Renowned for painting directly from life, Jones received commissions from many of Cheshire's principal landowners and country families.
Historical records confirm that his patrons included the Duke and Duchess of Westminster of Eaton Hall, firmly establishing his reputation among Britain's foremost sporting artists.
Today his paintings are admired for their meticulous observation, technical accuracy and remarkable ability to capture the individual character of each animal.
✍️ Signed
• Signed lower left.
• Titled Grisette lower right.
• Fully inscribed verso in the artist's own copperplate hand:
"Painted from Life at Nantwich — H. Herbert St. John Jones — Feb. 19th, 1925."
• Original "The Windsor Canvas – Made in England" manufacturer's stamp to the reverse.
🖼️ Framed
Presented in a later fitted giltwood gallery frame that complements the painting beautifully while respecting its period character.
The frame displays only light age-related country house wear consistent with its age.
📏 Size
Canvas: 33.3 cm W × 27.7 cm H (13.1 in × 10.9 in)
Frame: 49.7 cm W × 42 cm H × 4.5 cm D (19.6 in × 16.5 in × 1.8 in)
📜 Provenance
Private Collection.
Dreweatts Neate — 29 May 2002.
Originally catalogued correctly as Grisette and offered alongside its companion painting, Silverbank.
Both paintings were recorded as having been painted from life at Nantwich, with Grisette specifically carrying the dated inscription of 19 February 1925.
The painting later re-entered the market under the transcription error "Griselle."
Careful examination of Herbert St. John Jones's original copperplate inscription confirms that the terminal letters clearly read "-tte," corroborating the original 2002 Dreweatts catalogue.
The restoration of the correct title reunites the painting with its documented auction history and significantly strengthens its provenance.
⭐ Why You'll Love It
Grisette is far more than an attractive horse portrait. It is a rare, fully documented sporting painting with exceptional artistic and historical depth.
Collectors will appreciate:
• Original signed, titled and dated work by Herbert St. John Jones.
• Original "Painted from Life" inscription and Windsor Canvas stamp.
• Documented auction history with corrected provenance.
• Companion painting (Silverbank) recorded in historic auction archives.
• Strong historical associations with the Grosvenor sporting sphere and the Cheshire Hunt.
• Outstanding example of British sporting realism from the golden age of fox hunting.
Its combination of artistic quality, documentary evidence and historical context makes Grisette an exceptional purchase for collectors of British sporting art, equestrian paintings, country house interiors and museum-quality sporting memorabilia.
🛡️ Condition Report
The painting is presented in overall good exhibition condition.
• Structurally sound original canvas.
• Stable age-related craquelure and scattered foxing consistent with a painting over one hundred years old.
• Historic professionally executed reverse canvas repair that is secure and does not materially affect the painted surface.
• Attractive giltwood gallery frame with expected age-related wear and minor losses.
Ready for immediate display.
