oil on canvas 10 x 8 in.
oil on canvas 10 x 8 in.
Fox Hunter by Scott Leighton
Scott Leighton, was born Thomas Leighton in Dover, N.H. and was the fourth child among five born to Nicholas and Deborah M. (Whitney) Leighton on August 28, 1847. He was 50 years of age when he passed away in Waverly, MA, on January 8th 1898.
He married Sadie L. Wyman on November 28, 1870 in Portland, and a few months later on January 1, 1871 the couple also had a more formal church wedding. Scott and Sadie never had children, and are both buried at the Universalist Churchyard in Falmouth, ME.
Scott Leighton’s legacy earned him the title of the “Landseer of the United States,” as noted in his obituary in the New York Times on January 19, 1898. His expertise lay in portraying horses, and he gained recognition for his remarkable paintings in this genre. Some notable works include “Lamartine” and “Barn Yard Altercation”, which are featured in various museum collections and continue to command high prices in auctions.
Scott got an early start in a career in horse-trading at the age of 14, and by age 17, he had accumulated sufficient funds to establish himself as a painter in Portland. Under the guidance of Harrison Bird Brown, he refined his artistic skills, focusing not only on landscapes but gaining renown for his equestrian compositions. From 1880 onward, Scott maintained a studio in Boston and resided at the Revere House, a popular meeting place for horse owners and trainers. His lithographs for Currier and Ives enjoyed widespread popularity, adding to his reputation as a prominent artist.
