Dimensions support: 1422 x 1118 mm
Curator: Landseer's "Shoeing", here at the Tate, presents a slice of rural life through the careful oil rendering of animals and a blacksmith at work. It measures a sizable 1422 by 1118 mm. Editor: The composition has a very Victorian sentimentality, doesn't it? A very idealized image of labor and animal companionship. Curator: Landseer's animal paintings were incredibly popular. He tapped into the rising middle class's sentimental view of the countryside and its inhabitants. Note the hierarchy, though: the horse is noble, the donkey more humble. Editor: And the subservient dog! I think we need to address how these images reflect Victorian attitudes toward class and the natural world. Curator: Absolutely. Landseer was celebrated, even knighted, but today we can analyze how his art reinforced social structures. Editor: It’s a powerful reminder that what was once admired can be interrogated through the lenses of today.
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This picture was commissioned by Jacob Bell who was one of Landseer’s most important patrons. It portrays Bell’s mare ‘Old Betty’. Bell originally wanted Landseer to depict the mare with her foal. However, Landseer repeatedly put off the commission. By the time he was ready to paint ‘Old Betty’ the foal had outgrown its mother. In introducing a donkey into the composition Landseer was using a device popular with many other animal painters, whereby the donkey’s rough coat is contrasted with the sleekness of the horse. Gallery label, November 2016
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