George Ford Morris (1873-1960) (after)
Greyhound – Champion Trotter, 1:55-3/4, Of the Breed of Noble Blood
Associated American Artists, New York: 1945
Lithograph
Inscribed in lithograph stone lower left: G.F.M. 45 ©
Signed lower right in pencil
Accompanied by original Associated American Artists label
14.5 x 10.25 inches overall
11.75 x 8.75 inches image
Sold, please inquire as to the availability of similar items.
Portrait of Greyhound, a Trotting Horse
Lithograph by George Ford Morris: 1945
Lithograph by George Ford Morris: 1945
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Portrait of the harness racing champion horse “Greyhound” (1932-1965), widely considered the greatest trotting horse of all time. The light grey horse stands in dramatic closeup against white clouds in a darker sky. Another print from this stone is in the collection of the Harness Museum, and one sold for $2,000 at a Harness Tracks of America auction in 2001.
Greyhound is widely considered the greatest trotting horse of all time. During his seven-year career spanning 1934 to 1940, his winning record captured the public’s imagination and helped revive interest in harness racing. Greyhound established 14 world records including the 1:55 1/4 time for the mile in 1938, which stood for 31 years. (The print’s title has 1:55 3/4, but that is incorrect.) After his retirement, he was periodically brought out for exhibitions.
George Ford Morris was a painter, printmaker, sculptor and illustrator, who specialized in painting famous horses, their owners and riders. Born in Missouri, he studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Académie Julian in Paris. He wrote and illustrated Portraitures of Horses and George Ford Morris Animals, the latter of which was published for three consecutive years and bound in Christmas issues of The American Horseman. In addition to being a regular contributor to equestrian and racing magazines, he illustrated for Century and Scribners.
The following biography of George Ford Morris appears on the original label of the publisher, Associated American Artists:
“George Ford Morris is unquestionably one of the leading portrayers of animals. At sixteen he was an illustrator for the authoritative magazine, ‘The Horseman,’ and at seventeen, he was known as that brilliant young animal artist whose illustrations appeared regularly in ‘The American Sportsman,’ ‘Breeder’s Gazette,’ ‘The Trotter and Pacer,’ and ‘The Western Horseman.’
He was a Founder Member of the American Animal Artists Association of which he has been Chairman and President since 1937. He is as much at home in sculpture as painting and prefers the former, but is kept too busy at the latter to indulge his preference. He has completed many lithographs of famous horses, is now at work upon three illustrated historical books, and is completing the George Ford Morris Collection of more than six hundred items embracing portraits of many of the most important stallions and champion horses of the last three centuries.”References:
Falk, Peter Hastings, ed. Who Was Who in American Art. Madison, Connecticut: Sound View Press, 1985. p. 431.
Gilbert, Dorothy B., ed. Who’s Who in American Art. New York: American Federation of Arts and R.R. Bowker, 1959. p. 406.
Linkous, Diana. “Greyhound, the Great Trotting Horse.” Equine Heroes. 1997-2000. http://www.equinenet.org/heroes/greyhound.html (9 December 2004).