Description:

Edward Benjamin Herberte (British, 1857-1893) A COUNTRY HORSE FAIR $15,000. – 20,000. Oil on canvas, 30” x 50 1⁄2” $15,000. – 20,000. Edward Benjamin Herberte’s depiction of A Country Horse Fair is one of four recorded similar subjects by the artist, but the current offering stands above the others in stature and intrigue. Married to a prominent actress, Herberte was well known as an artist and painter of background scenery used in many of London’s leading theatres. Herberte often worked for the Paragon Theatre Company, owned and operated by the Livesey family and billed as “the largest portable theatre in England.” A Country Horse Fair is almost certainly set in England, as evidenced by the presence of the Paragon Theatre. What makes the painting unusual is the depiction of American flags on the tents. When examining this work, the viewer’s eye is naturally drawn to the man in the lower right, the most conspicuous person in the painting. Herberte made the presence of this figure stand out in two ways — the attention he paid to the man’s face (he wants the viewer to recognize him) and the man’s attire. The man is wearing a red-and-white-striped vest and a blue jacket, attire that suggests a relationship to the American flags flying in the background. It has been suggested the man might be the illustrious showman Phineas Taylor Barnum. Barnum visited England many times throughout his career, including Windsor, and is said to have presented the “Greatest Show on Earth” before Queen Victoria and other members of the royal family. It is highly unlikely that Barnum would have traveled to Windsor with his entire production of hundreds of people, animals, tents, etc. for a single performance. A much more likely scenario would be that the “greatest showman” would have used a much smaller and more mobile backdrop to put on his production for the queen, a stage much like the Livesey Family’s portable Paragon Theatre. While no documentation exists to verify this assertion, the conspicuously dressed man in the bottom of the painting bears a striking resemblance to Barnum.

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November 18, 2018 2:00 PM EST
Lexington, KY, US

Cross Gate Gallery

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