James Seymour 1702?-1752

James Seymour was born in London, England the son of James Seymour. He was among the fortunate ones when it comes to artists. His father was quite well off and had a number of businesses. Senior Seymour dealt in diamonds, gold, and banking. He was an amateur painter and also collected and dealt in prints and pictures. He belonged to a gentleman's club, the Virtuosi Club of St. Luke, which specialized in art. It is interesting to note that John Wootton was also a member of this club and they most likely knew each other. Young James was exposed to art early and had the time and resources to study on his own. He worked frequently at Newmarket as did Wootton.James Seymour had another passion, horses. He owned and bred race horses. Apparently James Seymour also had a passion for women, gambling, and racing. He coupled his love of art with his love of horses thereby producing some of the most prominent sporting paintings, drawings, and engravings of his time. It was often said that Seymour had a special genius for drawing horses. His art was quite formalized. He specialized in hunting, horse racing, and stable scenes. He was well respected by his compatriots. Many artists of his time imitated Seymour's work. He also had a student, Thomas Spencer. He had a number of patrons. Among them were Sir William Jolliffe and Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset.

James Seymour died in 1752.

In Full Cry

Horse Fly

Two Horses and A Groom

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