Title - The Red Prince Mare(1921)

Artist - Sir Alfred J. Munnings

The painting depicts Violet Munnings’ mare, Rosemary, being saddled before a point to point race.  Prior to Violet's marriage, Rosemary was one of the horses that she had used for both showing and hunting. Rosemary was the mother of Red Prince II, as well as 1880 Grand National winner, Empress.  Violet Munnings described Rosemary as “inclined to be queer” but bred her and kept two of her foals, Winter Rose and Cherrybounce, both of whom were frequently used as both models and riding horses. 

It is possible that the setting of this work was based on scenes near Belvoir Castle where Munnings was commissioned by the Master of Fox and Hounds (MFH) to spend the season painting hunting pictures. A similar tent appears in Munnings’ various pictures of the Belvoir Point to Point races on Barrowby Hill.