Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1981.25.763
Gallery Label:
Sir Roger Burgoyne, sixth Baronet of Sutton, Bedfordshire (1710–1780), and member of Parliament for that county, is depicted riding his favorite hunting horse, Badger, on the grounds of his country estate. His beagle, Juno, leads the procession. The bulging Arabian eye and the high-crested neck of the horse were considered status symbols, and Burgoyne may have asked the painter to exaggerate these features in order to heighten his importance in the eyes of contemporary viewers. James Seymour was considered the preeminent painter of sporting pictures in Britain, a native artist whose meticulous style was unaffected by foreign influences. Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2016