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James Pollard was a British painter who was best known for his depictions of horse-drawn carriages, the fox hunt and other horse scenes. He was born in 1792 in Islington, Great Britain, the son of the artist and publisher Robert Pollard the Elder. It was Robert Pollard who encouraged James to pursue his artistic talent at an early age and to follow his interest in sports painting. Due to the support of his father, James began his art career by copying works from Ben Marshall. Ben Marshall was already a well-known artist at the time, concentrating on sports scenes and horses.
At the same time James began to learn the craft of the draughtsman and engraver in his father's company. While working for his father, he was commissioned by Edward Orme, the king's printer, to paint the sign of an inn with stage coaches, horses and passengers. This commission marked a turning point in his life. His first commission work already received a lot of public attention and was also highly appreciated by the Austrian ambassador. Numerous further commissions promptly followed. He was now able to get out of his father's shadow and become independent. But he always remained true to engraving, engraving many of his paintings himself. In the same year, after his first commission, James began to exhibit at the Royal Academy and continued to do so for several years.
His focus was mainly on painting horse-drawn carriages. But with the introduction of train and bus systems, the carriages became less and less interesting and the orders to paint them became less and less frequent. James had to change his mind and began to concentrate more on hunting, racing and fishing scenes. It is known, for example, that he painted racing pictures together with the artist John Frederick Herring. It was a collaboration in which everyone had their own special task. James painted the crowd and the background, while Herring was responsible for the race horses.
Throughout his life James Pollard exhibited at the Rocal Academy, the British Institution and the Suffolk Street Galleries. Today his works are in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, the Tate Gallery in London and the Denver Art Museum, among others. Pollard died in 1867 in London, Great Britain.
James Pollard was a British painter who was best known for his depictions of horse-drawn carriages, the fox hunt and other horse scenes. He was born in 1792 in Islington, Great Britain, the son of the artist and publisher Robert Pollard the Elder. It was Robert Pollard who encouraged James to pursue his artistic talent at an early age and to follow his interest in sports painting. Due to the support of his father, James began his art career by copying works from Ben Marshall. Ben Marshall was already a well-known artist at the time, concentrating on sports scenes and horses.
At the same time James began to learn the craft of the draughtsman and engraver in his father's company. While working for his father, he was commissioned by Edward Orme, the king's printer, to paint the sign of an inn with stage coaches, horses and passengers. This commission marked a turning point in his life. His first commission work already received a lot of public attention and was also highly appreciated by the Austrian ambassador. Numerous further commissions promptly followed. He was now able to get out of his father's shadow and become independent. But he always remained true to engraving, engraving many of his paintings himself. In the same year, after his first commission, James began to exhibit at the Royal Academy and continued to do so for several years.
His focus was mainly on painting horse-drawn carriages. But with the introduction of train and bus systems, the carriages became less and less interesting and the orders to paint them became less and less frequent. James had to change his mind and began to concentrate more on hunting, racing and fishing scenes. It is known, for example, that he painted racing pictures together with the artist John Frederick Herring. It was a collaboration in which everyone had their own special task. James painted the crowd and the background, while Herring was responsible for the race horses.
Throughout his life James Pollard exhibited at the Rocal Academy, the British Institution and the Suffolk Street Galleries. Today his works are in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, the Tate Gallery in London and the Denver Art Museum, among others. Pollard died in 1867 in London, Great Britain.