Two Dark Bays in a Landscape

Oil on canvas, signed and dated 1833

70.5 x 98.5 cms
27¾ x 38¾ inches

William Webb was brought up in Tamworth in Staffordshire, the eldest son of Thomas and Mary Webb. Although he had certainly started his career as an artist by 1819, it is believed that he originally worked as a clock and watch maker.

He married Sarah Bindley at Tamworth on 4th June 1804 and they had eleven children, four of whom became artists. Archibald was a coastal and marine painter, Byron lived with his brother Archibald and painted animals, in particular Highland deer, Edward Walter painted horses rather in his father’s style but with a freer technique and James, probably the best known of the four brothers, produced paintings of landscape and coastal views in England and Europe.

William and his family left Tamworth to move to Melton Mowbray and from there to London where he resided in Arundel Street for a short while before returning to Melton Mowbray, remaining there until his death on 1st May 1846.

Principally a painter of horses, William Webb also depicted other animals such as dogs and lions as well as the occasional historical piece. M H Grant says of his sporting portraiture that they “include much sweetly painted prospect of hunting vales”. His work was of very good quality and his composition was frequently exceptionally good. His hunting scenes were redolent of Henry Alken Senior and W. Giller engraved and published a print of Webb’s portrait of John Mytton in 1841.

He exhibited six paintings at the Royal Academy in London which included titles such as, “Portraits of ‘Duchess’ a lioness, and her whelps; and ‘Nero, a male lion, from the animals in Exeter Change”, “Portrait of Gulnare, a celebrated racing mare, the property of the Duke of Richmond”, “Portraits of horses, the property of F.Lawley Esq.” and “Portrait of a Dog, the property of a Nobleman”. Most of work came about through wealthy private patronage rather than through public exhibitions.

There is a painting by William Webb in the Yale Center for British Art, (originally the Paul Mellon Collection).

Bibliography: Dictionary of British Equestrian Artists- Sally Mitchell
Dictionary of British Landscape Painters - M H Grant
Dictionary of British Sporting Artists – Sydney H Pavière