|
Belmont
Park: A Century of Champions
Original
paintings by Richard Stone Reeves
with text by Edward L. Bowen
Pub Date: May 2005. Belmont
Park, the revered Long Island, New York, racetrack, has
played host to some of Thoroughbred racing’s greatest
champions, from Man o’ War and Citation to modern-day
heroes Secretariat and Cigar. Internationally acclaimed
equine artist Richard Stone Reeves salutes Belmont’s
first century with portraits, most of them showcased here
for the first time, of 70 racehorses who thrilled crowds,
set records, and became legends at the fabled New York
track. His personal recollections of many of his subjects
complement the biographies written by Turf historian Edward
L. Bowen.
Also
available as a regular hardcover
edition.
About the Artist:
Richard Stone Reeves was born in New York City and reared
in Garden City, Long Island, not far from Belmont Park
where, as a boy, he acquired his love for horses and Thoroughbred
racing. His father Matthew Sully Reeves, who came from
Charleston, South Carolina, was a direct descendant of
the celebrated American portrait painter, Thomas Sully,
whose subjects included President Andrew Jackson and Queen
Victoria of England. His mother Edna Simonson was a native
of Long Island whose family owned and bred many well-known
Standardbred racehorses.
After graduation from Syracuse University with a Fine
Arts degree in 1941, Reeves enlisted in the U.S. Navy
and received a commission as an ensign in 1942. He spent
1944 and ’45 in China, where he painted subjects
such as local peasants and temples in between combat missions.
At the end of World War II, he began his career as a painter
of horses and quickly received national recognition when
his painting of Armed, Horse of the Year in 1947, appeared
in LIFE magazine. This led to many assignments
in the Thoroughbred field, and Reeves since has been commissioned
to portray more international classic winners and champions
than any artist in history. Among his earlier books prized
by collectors are Legends, Decade of Champions,
and Royal
Blood. Reeves passed away at the age of 85 on
Oct. 7, 2005.
Read
a Q&A with Richard
Stone Reeves from May 2005.
Praise
for Richard Stone Reeves:
“Richard
Stone Reeves will undoubtedly be remembered as the greatest
horse portraitist of all time.”
-- Greg Ladd, Cross Gate Gallery, Lexington, Ky.
****
“Reeves
is a master at capturing the likeness of his equine subjects.”
-- Racing Post
|
Signed/Numbered Limited Edition
Leather bound w/slip case
12 x 11
192 pages
70 color reproductions
6 pencil sketches
Product #B11-1095
List Price: $350.00
ISBN: 1-58150-124-2
|
