John Russell RA (1745-1806)

John Russell RA (1745-1806)

Portrait of Lt. Col. Thomas Thornton (1751/2-1823), half-length, wearing the uniform of a Deputy-Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire

Oil on canvas

89.5 x 69.3cm; 35¼ x 27¼in

Provenance:

Leggatt Brothers, London;

Farrouste, Madrid;

The Leger Galleries, London, 1963;

Private Collection, USA

Literature:

John R. Swift, Colonel Thomas Thornton of Thornville Royal and the West York Militia (2014), illustrated on the cover

Col. Thomas Thornton was one of the most notable sportsmen of the 18th Century. Having inherited his father's estate at an early age, he embarked on a lifetime of sporting pursuits, including falconry, horse racing, coursing, fishing and shooting. He frequently took a large entourage on sporting tours, and became known as the 'King of British Sport'.